▁Western ▁Sy rm ia ▁( SA O ▁S B WS ), ▁declaring ▁it ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁political ▁entity . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Cro atia ▁had ▁no ▁regular ▁army ▁and ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁bol ster ▁its ▁defence , ▁it ▁double d ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁police ▁personnel ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁most ▁effective ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁force ▁was ▁the ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 - strong ▁special ▁police ▁deployed ▁in ▁twelve ▁batt al ions ▁adopt ing ▁military ▁organisation . ▁In ▁addition ▁there ▁were ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 – 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁region ally ▁organ ised ▁reserve ▁police . ▁The ▁reserve ▁police ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁ 1 6 ▁batt al ions ▁and ▁ 1 0 ▁companies , ▁but ▁they ▁lack ed ▁weapons . ▁By ▁July , ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁National ▁Guard ▁( Z bor ▁narod ne ▁gar de ▁– ▁Z NG ) ▁was ▁established , ▁absor bing ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁special ▁police ▁force ▁re organ ised ▁into ▁four ▁professional ▁brig ades , ▁and ▁police ▁reserve ▁force ▁of ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Z NG ▁troops . ▁The ▁reserve ▁units ▁did ▁not ▁possess ▁sufficient ▁heavy ▁or ▁small ▁arms ▁to ▁arm ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁personnel . ▁ ▁Tim eline ▁ ▁The ▁general ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁villages ▁of ▁Dal j , ▁Erd ut ▁and ▁Al j ma š ▁was ▁target ed ▁by ▁an ▁art illery ▁bomb ard ment ▁between ▁ 3 :