Defence Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina had its headquarters in Ljubuški and mostly operated in the southern area of the country. Their commander was Blaž Kraljević. In the beginning of the Bosnian War they fought against the Serb forces together with the HVO and ARBiH. The strength of HOS forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina was estimated at up to 5000 members armed with infantry weapons. They included many Bosnian Muslims in their ranks and advocated a confederation between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, frequently using the slogan "Croatia to the Drina, Bosnia to the Adriatic". The HOS participated in breaking the JNA-VRS siege of Mostar in June 1992, when the HV and HVO forces pushed the Serb forces towards eastern Herzegovina. Relations between the HVO and HOS eventually worsened, though HOS did not function integrally throughout the country. In the area of Novi Travnik it was closer to the HVO, while in the Mostar area there were increasingly tense relations between the HOS and the HVO. On 9 August Kraljević was killed in unclear circumstances at a police checkpoint in the village of Kruševo, by HVO soldiers under the command of Mladen Naletilić. On 23 August 1992 HVO and HOS leaders in Herzegovina agreed to incorporate the HOS into the HVO. The remaining HOS forces were later recognized by the Sarajevo government as part of the ARBiH. The HOS forces in central Bosnia merged with the HVO in April 1993. Most of the Bosniaks that were members of the HOS joined the Muslim Armed Forces (MOS). Symbols The HOS had a black flag with its emblem in the centre: a circle of triple wattle containing a chequered shield (with white first square) over a four-sided blue-and-white triple-wattle symbol; above, the inscription "HOS"; below, "HSP, Za dom spremni", which was the Ustaše salute during WW2, in the Independent State of Croatia. HOS symbols have become a contentious issue in recent years as the popularity of its flag with the Za Dom Spremni slogan has grown with right-wing fans at sporting events and HOS veterans continue to use HOS and Ustasha insignia at public events. Units Gallery See also Blaž Kraljević Croatian Party of Rights Footnotes References Croatian nationalist organizations Military units and formations of the Croatian War of Independence Military units and formations of the Bosnian War Anti-communist organizations Military units and formations established in 1991 Military units and formations disestablished