The 7th Muslim Brigade (7. Muslimanska brigada), officially known as the 7th Muslim Knights Liberation Brigade (7. Muslimanska Viteška oslobodilačka brigada) was an all-volunteer assault brigade of the 3rd Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), headquartered in Zenica.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 284, link. During the Bosnian War (1992-1995), the 7th Muslim Brigade fought on various battlefields throughout Bosnia & Herzegovina, facing VRS forces in the areas of Visoko, Mt. Igman, Vozuća, Kladanj, Teslić, Mt. Vlašić, Ilijaš, Vozuća, Mt. Ozren, and others, and facing HVO forces in and around Zenica, Kakanj, Travnik, Vitez, Busovača, Vareš, Fojnica, and Bugojno during the ARBiH-HVO conflict. The brigade captured nearly 1,100 km² of territory, including numerous aforementioned towns and villages, from HVO and VRS forces during the course of the war.
More than 4,000 fighters passed through the ranks of the brigade, of whom 252 were killed in combat and over 1,800 were injured. 30 members of the 7th Muslim Knights Liberation Brigade were awarded the highest ARBiH wartime honor, the “Golden Lily”.
Formation and structure The 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade was formed on November 17, 1992, in Zenica, composed of Bosniak volunteers from Travnik, Zenica, Kakanj, Vitez, Busovača, Žepče, and Vareš. At the time of its formation, the brigade's structure was as follows:
-1st Battalion (HQ in Travnik): Composed of various organized MOS (Muslim Armed Forces) detachments from the areas of Travnik and Vitez.International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Hadžihasanović and Kubura, Judgment, str. 110, link. -2nd Battalion (HQ in Zenica): Formed from the 7th Muslim Battalion of the 1st Zenica Brigade (7. Muslimanski bataljon 1. Zeničke brigade) and various MOS units from Pojske, Orahovica, and Begov Han. -3rd Battalion (HQ in Kakanj): Composed of the Kakanj-based “Muslim Forces” detachment and the “Šehid Resul” detachment from Kaćuni.
Following the formation of the Zenica-based 3rd Corps on December 1, 1992, the 7th Muslim Brigade enters its ranks.
In 1993, a Reconnaissance-Sabotage Company (Diverzantsko-izviđačka četa) was formed, made up of fighters from existing reconnaissance, sabotage, and assault units of the brigade; this company operated directly under brigade command.
On February 22, 1994, following the formation of the 7th Corps (7. korpus) in Travnik, the existing 1st Travnik Battalion of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade was reorganized into the 37th Muslim Light Brigade (37. Muslimanska lahka brigada) (renamed in 1995 to the 737th Light Brigade (737. Muslimanska lahka brigada)), which entered the ranks of the newly formed 7th Corps. At the same time, the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade, composed mostly of fighters from Kakanj and Kaćuni, was renamed as the 1st Battalion. By late 1994, a new 3rd Battalion was formed in Zenica with personnel from across Central Bosnia.
In April 1995, a 4th Battalion was formed, based in Janjići, Zenica.
On April 14, 1994, the brigade was given the honorary title “Glorious,” making its full name the 7th Muslim Glorious Mountain Brigade (7. Muslimanska Slavna brdska brigada).
On May 13, 1995, it was reformed as a liberation brigade and granted the highest honorary title “Knights,” becoming the 7th Muslim Knights Liberation Brigade (7. Muslimanska Viteška oslobodilačka brigada).
Following the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in December 1995, the brigade was incorporated into the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the 7th Knights Mechanized Brigade (7. Viteška mehanizovana brigada), which was later disbanded upon the formation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSBiH) in late 2004.
During the war, volunteers from all regions of Bosnia joined the ranks of the 7th Muslim Brigade. Some units with significant numbers of volunteers who transferred to the brigade included: the 306/706th Light Brigade (306/706. lahka brigada) from Travnik, the 318/328th Glorious Mountain Brigade (318/328. Slavna brdska brigada)from Zavidovići, the 309/329th Mountain Brigade (309/329. brdska brigada)from Kakanj, as well as the 303rd Knights Mountain (303. Viteška brdska brigada), the 314th Glorious Mountain (314. Slavna brdska brigada), and the 330th Light Brigades (330. lahka brigada)from Zenica.
Despite various speculation, the 7th Muslim Brigade never incorporated a significant number of foreign volunteers from North African and Middle Eastern nations, referred to commonly as “Mujahideen”. On August 13, 1993, the “El-Mudžahidin” detachment (Odred "El-Mudžahidin")composed of foreign Islamic volunteers and local Bosniak adherents to Salafi Islam, was formed near Travnik. During this period, one company from the 7th Muslim Brigade's 1st Battalion, 80 fighters strong, left its ranks and joined the newly formed detachment.International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Hadžihasanović and Kubura, Judgment, str. 124, link. In total, somewhere between 150 and 200 fighters from the 7th Muslim Brigade joined the ranks of “El-Mudžahidin”, mostly in mid-1993 right after its formation. War crimes committed by members of the “El-Mudžahidin” detachment were, in various cases, falsely attributed to the 7th Muslim Brigade, which was later cleared up during post-war ICTY trials of the brigade's commanders tasked with deducing whether or not the 7th Muslim Brigade had “de facto” control over rogue foreign volunteer detachments operating in Central Bosnia in mid-1993, prior to the formation of “El-Mudžahidin”; the trials concluded that this was not the case.International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Hadžihasanović and Kubura, Judgment, str. 151, link.
Combat history
The first operation of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade (7. Muslimanska brdska brigada) was its participation in the initial ARBiH attempt to break the Siege of Sarajevo, known as Operation “Koverta”. In December 1992, together with various other units of the 3rd and 6th Corps, the 7th Muslim Brigade launched an attack on the fortified positions of the VRS at the strategic elevation “Višegrad” on the Visoko battlefield. The brigade's fighters, despite suffering heavy losses, managed to capture the position; however, superior artillery power of the VRS forced them to abandon the attempt to break the blockade and withdraw from the position.Monografija 1. Korpusa Armije Republike Bosne i Hercegovine, str. 149, link.
Soon after, the first clashes between the ARBiH and the HVO erupted in Central Bosnia. One of the earliest actions against HVO forces occurred in the village of Dusina, north of Busovača, in January 1993. The clash involved the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Muslim Brigade and HVO units from Busovača which held Dusina; after a brief battle, the village was in the hands of ARBiH forces.International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Hadžihasanović and Kubura, Judgment, str. 191, link.
In the coming months, as tensions escalated, open hostilities broke out in Zenica in mid-April 1993. The 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade, together with other Zenica-based military and police units, were tasked with securing the city and expelling HVO forces, namely the local HVO brigade “Jure Francetić” (Brigada “Jure Francetić”). Following a short battle, the “Jure Francetić” brigade was forced out of Zenica, retreating to new positions west of the city in the village of Gornji Čajdraš.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 192, link. In the subsequent days, the 7th Muslim Brigade broke through the positions of the “Jure Francetić” brigade in Gornji Čajdraš and Kuber, with some of its fighters surrendering to ARBiH forces, while others managed to withdraw toward HVO positions in Vitez.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 236, link.
Between June and July 1993, the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade engaged in intense battles against both Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat forces. On June 4, 1993, fighting broke out in Travnik between the ARBiH and HVO. In an attempt to use the situation to their advantage, the VRS launched an attack on the village of Bijelo Bučje, west of Travnik, where they initially achieved successes before being halted by the 1st Battalion of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 195, link.
On June 5, 1993, the HVO began to withdraw from Travnik and consolidate new positions around the city. One of these positions, in Mešče, was assaulted by the 1st Battalion of the 7th Muslim Brigade, resulting in the collapse of the HVO positions in that area and the capture of a sizable amount of military equipment. Two days later, on June 7, the 7th brigade captured the villages of Ušice and Ovnak, which in turn lifted the blockade on the village of Čukle. On the same day, parts of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade engaged in fierce combat with HVO forces around Novo Selo, capturing it shortly after midday and advancing towards Grahovčići, which they also captured that same day. These battles between June 5 and 7, 1993, enabled the creation of a corridor between Zenica and Travnik entirely under ARBiH control. By June 9, the HVO had been entirely pushed out of Travnik, with some of their forces managing to link up with HVO forces in Vitez while another portion chose to surrender to the VRS on Mt. Vlašić.
Shortly after the consolidation of Travnik, fierce battles were fought around Kakanj between ARBiH and HVO forces. On June 12, 1993, the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade was dispatched toward Kakanj from the direction of Ovnak and commenced its combat operations the following morning, June 13, 1993. On that day, soldiers of the brigade broke through the defense lines of the HVO's “Kotromanić” brigade (Brigada “Kotromanić”), capturing Teševsko Brdo and the village of Teševo, thereby taking control of the territory around Kraljeva Sutjeska.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 196, link.
On June 14, the fighting spread to the areas of Čatići and Kraljeva Sutjeska, where HVO forces were completely encircled. The next day, June 15, 1993, the “Kotromanić” brigade surrendered to the ARBiH forces in Ćatići and Kraljevska Sutjeska under UNPROFOR protection, and by June 16, 1993, the city of Kakanj and its surroundings were fully in ARBiH hands.
At the beginning of July 1993, the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade, in conjunction with the 310th Fojnica (310. brdska brigada) and the 317th Gornji Vakuf Mountain Brigades (317. brdska brigada), led the operation to capture Fojnica, which had up until that point been in HVO hands. By July 3, 1993, after only a few days of intense fighting, Fojnica was entirely under ARBiH control.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 207, link.
In November 1993 the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade was sent toward the Vareš enclave, also under HVO control- an area where, two weeks earlier, a war crime had been committed against Bosniak civilians in Stupni Do, resulting in the slaughter of 37 civilians, many of whom were burned alive in their homes. In the early morning hours of November 4, 1993, after several days of clashes around the enclave, the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade advanced from the west and became the first ARBiH unit to enter Vareš, linking up in the city center with fighters from the 206th Zvornik Glorious Mountain Brigade (206. Slavna brdska brigada) who had broken through HVO lines from the north.Central Intelligence Agency, Balkan Battlegrounds, Vol. I, str. 206, link. The successful execution of this operation also enabled the release of 110 Bosniak civilians who had been seeking refuge in the UNPROFOR base in the center of Vareš.