Vucic, Dodik honour soldiers fallen in Battle of Cer

TEKERIS - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik laid wreaths at the monument honouring soldiers fallen in the Battle of Cer, the first victory of Serbia and its allies in the Great War.

At the central celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cer as one of the most important battles in World War I, Vucic and Dodik signed the memorial book of the Tekeris Memorial Complex, near Loznica in western Serbia.

Wreaths were also laid by Chief of the General Staff of Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubisa Dikovic, Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Loznica Mayor Vidoje Petrovic as envoys of the Serbian president and Serbian parliament speaker.

The soldiers who fought in the Battle of Cer were also honoured by Ivana Lucic, great-granddaughter of Duke Stepa Stepanovic as the commander of the Serbian Second Army, who played the key role in the battle.

On behalf of the Serbian allies in the Great War, wreaths were laid by Russian Ambassador Alexander Chepurin and military envoy of France, as well as the representatives of the diplomatic corps in Belgrade.

The memorial service honouring the fallen heroes was headed by Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the beginning of the ceremony was announced by the trumpet player of the Serbian National Guard.

The Battle of Cer began by the attack of the Austro-Hungarian Army on the Kingdom of Serbia from the direction of Bosnia-Herzegovina on August 12, 1914.

The first big confrontation occurred in the night between August 15 and 16 near the village of Tekeris, and the two armies continued to fight all through August 20 along a 50-kilometer-wide front.

'Cer Operations'...