REMEMBRANCE DAY MARKED IN VUKOVAR NEIGHBOURHOOD

VUKOVAR, Nov 19 (Hina) - The 12th anniversary of the tragedy of Croatian soldiers and civilians in Borovo Naselje, a neighbourhood of the eastern town of Vukovar, was marked on Wednesday as part of events commemorating the 1991 occupation of the town by Serb forces. #L# Serb military and paramilitary units entered Borovo Naselje on 19 November 1991 after breaking the town's defence lines on 18 November. Members of the association of the families of abducted and detained Croatian soldiers "Vukovar Mothers" unveiled a memorial plaque at the site of the "Borovo-commerze" company, which was damaged in the war and torn down this year. The plaque was unveiled by two mothers of missing soldiers. According to the association's president, Ivan Psenica, at the time of the attack on Vukovar, the company building was housing the war department of the Vukovar General Hospital. At the time of the fall of Borovo Naselje, there were some 700 wounded soldiers and civilians in the building. After they entered Borovo Naselje, Serb military and paramilitary forces killed 85 soldiers and civilians, Psenica said, adding that another 176 civilians and soldiers were still registered as missing. In the battle for Borovo Naselje, 82 Croatian soldiers and 150 civilians were killed. Today's commemoration, which was attended by around 1,000 Vukovar residents, soldiers and other war victims, was also addressed by representatives of the national federation of the families of missing and detained Croatian soldiers and the association of missing and detained soldiers from Varazdin County. A total of 27 soldiers from Varazdin were killed while defending Borovo Naselje. Also present were representatives of the national coordinating body of Homeland War associations from Vukovar, the 204th Vukovar Brigade, and the "Borovo" company. The participants then proceeded towards the Church of Our Lady of Fatima to attend a memorial service. (hina) rml