"Twenty years after the death of the first victim of the Homeland Defence War and the Bloody Easter at Plitvice on 31 March 1991, I can say that the legacy of those developments were the present-day free and secure Republic of Croatia," Lucic, who commanded the operation, said in an interview with Hina.
After several futile attempts rebel Serbs set up their police station in the Plitvice Lake National Park, and after that, on 30 March, the state leadership, decided that Croatia's constitutional and legal order should be re-established in the area of Plitvice and Korenica, he said.
The Interior Ministry's special-purpose unit, based in Rakitje, and the Lucko anti-terrorist unit (ATJ Lucko ) were tasked with enforcing this decision.
Two companies of the special-purpose unit, with two armoured vehicles and the ATJ Lucko departed for the Plitvice area from Zagreb in early hours of 31 March, 1991.
The Croatian policemen were ambushed enroute, and fire was opened at them from different infantry weapons, General Lucic said adding that this was the first time for the Croatian forces to be trapped in such a large-scale ambush set by Serb rebels.
Fog and darkness, however, reduced visibility which was why Serb insurgents could not precisely target, he added.
However, the Croatian forces managed to put down rebels and arrested 19 terrorists, Lucic said stressing that upon the arrest all terrorists were treated well and in accordance with the law.
Policeman Josip Jovic was killed in subsequent clashes four kilometres of Plitvice Hotel.
Progressing towards the hotel, the Croatian forces caught another group of terrorists, including Goran Hadzic, who is now wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The clashes claimed the life of one Serb insurgent.
In this operation, the Croatian units seized a large amount of infantry weapons, including M53 automatic rifles, which General Lucic said rebels could only obtain from the then Yugoslav People's Army.