▁a ▁Ser bian ▁National ▁Council ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁to ▁coordinate ▁opposition ▁to ▁Cro at ian ▁President ▁Fran jo ▁Tu đ man ' s ▁policy ▁of ▁purs uing ▁independence ▁for ▁Cro atia . ▁Milan ▁Bab ić , ▁a ▁dent ist ▁from ▁the ▁southern ▁town ▁of ▁Kn in , ▁was ▁elected ▁president . ▁Kn in ' s ▁police ▁chief , ▁Milan ▁Mart ić , ▁established ▁par amil it ary ▁milit ias . ▁The ▁two ▁men ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁military ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁SA O ▁K raj ina , ▁a ▁self - dec la red ▁state ▁incorpor ating ▁the ▁Ser b - in hab ited ▁areas ▁of ▁Cro atia . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁SA O ▁K raj ina ▁authorities ▁back ed ▁by ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁government ▁started ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁control ▁over ▁Ser b - pop ulated ▁areas ▁of ▁Cro atia . ▁The ▁move ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁blood less ▁sk irm ish ▁in ▁Pak rac ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁fatal ities ▁in ▁the ▁Pl it vice ▁L akes ▁incident . ▁By ▁early ▁May , ▁the ▁conflict ▁also ▁es cal ated ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁eastern ▁S lav onia , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bor ovo ▁S elo , ▁just ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Dal j . ▁On ▁ 2 5 – 2 6 ▁June , ▁Cro at ian ▁Ser bs ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁S lav onia ▁established ▁the ▁SA O ▁Eastern ▁S lav onia , ▁Bar anja ▁and