By decree of the Presidency of the then Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH), on April 15, 1992, the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was formed as a response to the aggression that followed shortly after the successful implementation of the referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fena news agency reported on Saturday.

Every year, April 15 is marked as the Day of formation of the RBiH Army, which included the units of the then Territorial Defense and the Patriotic League of BiH (PLBiH), as well as numerous volunteers who sacrificed themselves in the defence of the homeland.

During the four-year war, the RBiH Army grew into a respectable military force that numbered over 200,000 members.

As part of the RBiH Army, there were seven corps that included the regions – Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, Travnik, Mostar and the region of the current Una-Sana Canton, as well as the area of Konjica and its surroundings.

The assets defended by the RBiH Army are today the heritage of the Second Infantry (Ranger) Regiment of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), which is present in all parts of BiH and represents the most important factor in nurturing the historical identity of the RBiH Army.

This year, the anniversaries of the formation of the RBiH Army and the Second Infantry Regiment of the AFBiH were marked with a series of special events, which was rounded off by a ceremonial academy, held on Friday in Sarajevo, attended by BiH Presidency members, Denis Becirovic and Zeljko Komsic, along with numerous dignitaries and guests.

Along with the congratulatory messages on that occasion, the BiH Presidency members noted the importance of the formation of the RBiH Army, assessing that it is one of the most important decisions in the long past of the country, that is, the most important historical fact in the centuries-old history of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.