After most of
Gornji Vakuf was captured by the
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) in August 1993, the fighting turned towards
Prozor where the
Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the ARBiH fought during the previous months in nearby villages. Neither had full control of the area so both sides spent August and September in fighting along the hills and ridges near Prozor. In September 1993, the Bosnian Government mounted the Neretva Operation, one of its most complex efforts to date, against the HVO. Units from the
1st,
3rd,
4th and
6th Corps of the ARBiH were subordinated to
Sefer Halilović for the operation. The ARBiH troops launched coordinated attacks against HVO-held enclaves in the
Lašva Valley and on the entire confrontation line from south of Gornji Vakuf to
Jablanica, through
Mostar and further southward to the
Buna River. Units of the 9th Brigade, the 10th Brigade and the 2nd Independent Battalion, all subordinated to the ARBiH 1st Corps, were sent from
Sarajevo to the Jablanica sector. In the
Vitez area, during a simultaneous attack from the north and south, at one point the ARBiH broke through HVO lines in Vitez, but were ultimately forced back. Between Prozor and Jablanica, the ARBiH pushed the confrontation line slightly to the west and advanced south toward Mostar after several days of fighting. The focus of the ARBiH attack was the HVO stronghold of
Vrdi near the
Neretva River in order to gain control of the northern and western approaches to Mostar. In September 1993, after an artillery bombardment of Vrdi, the ARBiH infantry unsuccessfully attacked it and HVO forces managed to repel the attack. In Mostar, the ARBiH and HVO forces had clashes in the city and its Bijelo Polje and
Raštani suburbs. The ARBiH made some limited gains by attacking outward from the city in three directions. The HVO responded with artillery shelling on 23 September of the eastern part of the city, controlled by the ARBiH, and an ineffective counterattack on 24 September. The use of artillery by the ARBiH and HVO further damaged the city, but neither side made significant gains. After several days of negotiations, a cease-fire was agreed on 3 October. == Battle of Vrdi ==