| People's Defence of Western Bosnia | |
|---|---|
| Narodna odbrana Zapadne Bosne | |
 | |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Disbanded | 21 August 1995 |
| Country |  Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Size | 10,000[1][2] (8000–9000[3] active as infantry) |
| Garrison/HQ | Velika Kladuša |
| Motto | Živio Babo! |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-chief | Fikret Abdić |
| Chief of Staff | Hasib Hodžić[4] |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
ThePeople's Defence of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (Serbo-Croatian:Narodna odbrana Zapadne Bosne,NOZB) was a paramilitary unit founded and led byFikret Abdić that fought in theIntra-Bosnian Muslim War during theBosnian War. It served as the army of theAutonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB) with its headquarters located atVelika Kladuša.
Structure of the People's Defense of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia:[1][2]
Velika Kladuša brigadeFrom October 12th 1993 to 5 August 1995,[5] the NOZB fought against the5th Corps and Croatian forces with support fromRepublika Srpska and theRepublic of Serbian Krajina. TheResearch and Documentation Center in Sarajevo established that the communities that were under siege – Bihać,Bosanska Krupa,Cazin andVelika Kladuša – 4,856 people were killed or went missing from 1991 to 1995.[6] The APZB was wiped out completely during theOperation Storm, decisive Croatian offensive in Republic of Croatia, and supported by ARBIH 5th corps in area of Bihać on 4th to 7th of August 1995.[7]
On 2 June 1994, the 5th Corps, under the command ofAtif Dudaković,[8] overran and seized the territory of Western Bosnia andFikret Abdić fled toZagreb for safety.[9] Around 40,000Muslims loyal to Fikret Abdić fled to neighbouringCroatia.[10] The battle was a huge success for theARBiH, which was able to rout Abdić's forces and managed to lift thesiege by the Serb forces onBihać and abolish Western Bosnia temporarily.
On 4 November 1994, commanded byFranko Simatović[11][12] andJovica Stanišić,[11][12] the Serbs counterattacked against the Bosnian forces, and ended in aSerb victory with the APZB being re-established. The APZB remained in existence until the fall of its key ally, theRepublic of Serbian Krajina, and the subsequent end of the war.
In 2013, theConstitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a decision that equated the rights of former soldiers of the NOZB with those of the members of the ARBiH and the HVO.[13]
