The 35th anniversary of the deaths of residents during the Homeland War was marked in Lovas. Wreaths were laid and candles lit at the monument in the 'Minefield' memorial area in Lovas, not far from Vukovar.
A total of 87 residents were killed or died in Lovas, and these 87 victims accounted for 5.5 per cent of the Croats who lived in Lovas before the Serbian occupation. During the Homeland War, 90 residents of Lovas lost their lives, and these 90 victims represented more than five per cent of the population of the municipality at the time.
Members of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitary units committed a particularly grave crime in Lovas on 18 October 1991. A group of 51 Lovas Croats was forced at gunpoint to enter a minefield. In this crime, 21 residents of Lovas were killed, and 14 were wounded. Croatian civilians were forced, under threat of weapons, to walk through the mined field after being abused and tortured.
Wreaths were laid and candles lit by numerous delegations, including representatives of the municipal authorities and members of the families and relatives of the victims. Deputy County President Darko Dimić attended the anniversary in Lovas.
A memorial Mass for all the residents of the Lovas municipality who died, were killed or went missing was held at the parish church of St Michael the Archangel. The commemoration paid tribute to all the residents of Lovas and Opatovac who died, were killed or went missing.
