3rd Corps (Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Operational Zone

The operational zone for the 3rd Corps were the districts of: Banja Luka, Bosanska Dubica, Bosanska Gradiška, Breza, Bugojno, Busovača, Čelinac, Donji Vakuf, Gornji Vakuf, Jajce, Kakanj, Kotor Varoš, Kupres, Laktaši, Mrkonjić Grad, Novi Travnik, Prnjavor, Skender Vakuf, Srbac, Šipovo, Travnik, Vitez, Zavidovići, Zenica and Žepče. Because of the fighting, there was a quick change in the territory and Vareš was included.

Command

The Headquarters of the 3rd Corps was in Zenica. It was composed of a number of centers:

• Center for operational command which had intelligence on the civilians, MUP-a, which the more important intelligence was given to the command of the 3rd Corps.
• Center for relations, the planning of all the relations connection to the 3rd Corps command.
• Military Intelligence Service: a service for counter-intelligence, military police, protection of the commands and other objects. The Commander was Ramiz Dugalić.

Commanders

• Enver Hadžihasanović, 1st (Dec 1992–Nov 1993)
• Mehmed Alagić, 2nd (Nov 1993–Jan 1994)
• Kadir Jusić, 3rd (Jan 1994–Sep 1994)
• Sakib Mahmuljin, 4th (Sep 1994–end of war)

Operational Groups

In February 1993, four operational groups were created under the command of Enver Hadžihasanović, the goal was to connect the 3rd Corps forces on the battlefield and the 3rd Corps Command:

• Operational group Bosanska Krajina headquarters in Travnik, Commander at the time Mehmed Alagić
• Operational group Lašva in Kakanj,
• Operational group Bosna in Žepče or Zavidovići,
• Operational group Zapad in Bugojno, Commander Selmo Cikotić
• Operational group Visoko in Visoko, later renamed Operational group Istok. This belonged to the 1st Corps, then 6th Corps.

3rd Corps Units

• 3rd Corps Military Police

Operational group Bosanska Krajina

• 7th Muslim Brigade
• 17th Brigade
• 306th Brigade, once belonged to Operational group West
• 325th Brigade

Operational group Lašva

• 309th Brigade
• 325th Brigade
• 333rd Brigade

Operational group Bosnia

• 318th Brigade
• 319th Brigade

Operational group West

• 307th Brigade
• 308th Brigade
• 312th Brigade
• 317th Brigade

These brigades were under the direct command of the 3rd Corps Command.

• 301st Brigade
• 303rd Mountain Brigade
• 304th Mountain Brigade Breza
• 314th Mountain Brigade
• 328th Mountain Brigade Zavidovici

Legal Proceedings

The command of the 3rd Corps was subject to extensive investigations by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the case (IT-01-47) Hadžihasanović & Kubura. The trial focused on the principle of "superior criminal responsibility" (Article 7(3) of the Statute) for crimes committed in central Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993 and early 1994.

The legal history of the 3rd Corps was extensively documented through ICTY proceedings, where Enver Hadžihasanović was convicted of failing to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or punish the cruel treatment of detainees at the Zenica Music School and the Slavonija Furniture Salon in Bugojno, receiving an initial sentence of five years' imprisonment, which was later reduced to three and a half years on appeal. Similarly, Amir Kubura was convicted of failing to prevent or punish plunder committed by his subordinates in the Vareš area and was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, later reduced to two years. Additionally, while Mehmed Alagić was charged with similar counts of superior responsibility, the legal proceedings against him were terminated following his death in March 2003.

Regarding foreign combatants, the Trial Chamber made significant findings concerning the relationship between the 3rd Corps and the "El Mujahed" detachment, noting that while a close de facto relationship and joint combat operations existed prior to August 1993, the 3rd Corps did not exercise "effective control" over the foreign Mujahedin during that period. However, following the de jure integration and formal establishment of the "El Mujahed" detachment on 13 August 1993, the unit was officially incorporated into the 3rd Corps, leading the Chamber to conclude that Enver Hadžihasanović subsequently exercised effective control over the detachment.

References

References

1. "Case Information Sheet: Hadžihasanović & Kubura (IT-01-47)".