1 9 9 4 . ▁It ▁was ▁controvers ial ▁in ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁media , ▁but ▁was ▁generally ▁br ushed ▁aside ▁as ▁an ▁aber r ation ▁from ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁success es . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Cro at ian ▁authorities ▁launched ▁an ▁investigation ▁into ▁alleg ed ▁war ▁cr imes ▁committed ▁by ▁H V ▁soldiers ▁during ▁the ▁operation , ▁in ▁which ▁ 4 0 ▁Ser b ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁killed . ▁ ▁Background ▁As ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁People ' s ▁Army ▁( J ug oslov enska ▁narod na ▁arm ija ▁– ▁J NA ) ▁with d rew ▁from ▁Cro atia ▁following ▁the ▁accept ance ▁and ▁start ▁of ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁V ance ▁plan , ▁its ▁ 5 5 , 0 0 0 ▁officers ▁and ▁soldiers ▁born ▁in ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁Bos n ian ▁Ser b ▁army , ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁renamed ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Repub lika ▁Sr ps ka ▁( V oj ska ▁Repub like ▁Sr ps ke ▁– ▁V RS ). ▁This ▁re - organisation ▁followed ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Republic ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁on ▁ 9 ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum ▁on ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁between ▁ 2 9 ▁February ▁and ▁ 1 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁This ▁declaration ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁c ited ▁by ▁the ▁Bos n ian ▁Ser bs ▁as