The central ceremony marking the 16th anniversary of Operation Storm began in the southern town of Knin on Friday morning with the hoisting of the Croatian flag on the fortress overlooking Knin.
The ceremony, commemorating Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans' Day, was attended by top state officials including President Ivo Josipovic, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Drago Lovric, Navy Commander Ante Urlic, all government ministers, Chief of Police Oliver Grbic, etc.
The ceremony at the mediaeval fortress was also attended by generals Rahim Ademi and Damir Krsticevic, Social Democratic Party president Zoran Milanovic, Croatian People's Party president Radimir Cacic, etc.
The military and police operation codenamed Storm began at 5 am on 4 August 1995, a Friday, and in only 84 hours Croatian soldiers and police liberated close to 10,500 square kilometres or one-fifth of the country's territory.
