Battle of the Barracks

Battle context

The Battle of the Barracks was a coordinated Croatian effort to neutralize Yugoslav People's Army positions distributed across Croatian-held territory. By blockading JNA barracks, weapons storage depots, and other facilities simultaneously, Croatian National Guard and police forces sought to eliminate an embedded military presence that complicated Croatian control of its own territory. A central objective was securing arms and ammunition from the JNA installations, addressing the critical equipment shortfall facing the poorly equipped Croatian forces at an early stage of the war. The operation represented a strategic shift from reactive defense to active pressure on JNA garrisons, aiming to convert besieged federal installations into sources of supply for the Croatian side.