Vrsar airport bombing | |
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Part of the Croatian War of Independence | |
Type | Airstrike |
Location | |
Target | Vrsar Crljenka Airport |
Date | 21 December 1991 |
Executed by | Yugoslav Air Force |
Outcome | Airport damaged |
Casualties | 2 killed |
The Vrsar airport bombing (Croatian: bombardiranje aerodroma kraj Vrsara) was a Yugoslav Air Force strike on the Crljenka airport near Vrsar—an air sports airport in the Istrian peninsula. The airstrike occurred on 21 December 1991, possibly as an attempt to stop the training of Croatian pilots, who had deserted the Yugoslav Air Force and were being trained in Vrsar. Other than being a training facility, the airport had a significant logistical value. However, since an attack was expected only on the strategically more important Pula Airport (which the JNA had evacuated a little over a month earlier) the airport had little defences, and the Croatians were caught unaware, with the alarm sounding ten minutes after the attack. Two people were killed in the raid, while the airport was damaged.