Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 27, 2022
The Battle of Vrbanja Bridge occurred on 27 May 1995 between United Nations peacekeepers from the French Army and elements of the Bosnian Serb–aligned Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). It began after the VRS seized French-manned observation posts of the United Nations Protection Force at both ends of the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War, taking twelve French peacekeepers hostage. Two of them remained held at the bridge as human shields. A platoon of 30 French peacekeepers, led by then-Captain François Lecointre, recaptured the bridge with the support of 70 French infantrymen and direct fire from armoured vehicles. Two French soldiers were killed and seventeen were wounded during the battle. VRS casualties were four killed, several wounded and four captured. VRS forces were subsequently less likely to engage French UN peacekeepers deployed in the city. In 2017, Lecointre was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff of France with the rank of army general. (Full article...)