Members of BiH Armed Forces and EUFOR Assist in Flood Damage Recovery

Units of the Armed Forces of BiH today, together with members of EUFOR from the armed forces of Austria, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Slovenia, began the drill “Joint Effort 2014” during which intensive field operations commenced.

Through the “Joint Effort 2014” drill, the Armed Forces of BiH are decisively, selflessly, and at full capacity continuing their work on recovering from flood damage, according to the BiH Ministry of Defence.

Minister Osmić emphasized that the Armed Forces of BiH are ready to “decisively, bravely, and selflessly continue the initiated activities to assist the endangered population. This drill, in which EUFOR members are also participating, is also a confirmation of our desire to actively participate with all available resources in removing the consequences of the natural disasters that have struck Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Units of the Armed Forces of BiH are present with personnel and machinery in the areas of Šamac, Orašje, and Bijeljina. Decontamination of the terrain is underway, road communications are being repaired in Željezno Polje and Topčić Polje, a bridge is being repaired in Šekovići, and work is being carried out to regulate the flow of the Tinja River near Srebrenik.

Approximately 600 members of the BiH Armed Forces, 80 motor vehicles, and 12 engineering machines are directly engaged in the field.

Simultaneously, a demining campaign is being conducted in Porebrica, Kozlovac, and Kazani near Kalesija, and a team for collecting unexploded ordnance (UXO) is engaged in Žepče. In the municipality of Sapna, water is being delivered, solid waste is being removed in Odžak and Šamac, and repairs are also being carried out at the “Sinovi Posavine” barracks in Orašje. Furthermore, specialized teams are conducting water sampling and disinfection and deratization measures.

The commander of the 5th Brigade of the BiH Armed Forces and director of the “Joint Effort 2014” drill, Brigadier Kenan Dautović, stated that such activities will continue and that credible actions will be taken to assist civilian authorities and the population as much as possible in overcoming the consequences of the major catastrophe that has affected a large part of BiH,” the statement from the BiH Ministry of Defence reads.