Injuries in Croatian Army brigade soldiers inflicted in an offensive action during the 1991/1992 war in Croatia.

The type and number of injuries sustained by soldiers of a Croatian Army brigade in an offensive action during the war in Croatia (1991/1992) were analyzed according to the mechanism of wounding. About 1,000 soldiers participated in a 6-hour offensive action in a flat, partially swampy, and wooded area, convenient for large-scale use of antipersonnel mines and other explosive devices. There were 92 casualties in total: 15 soldiers were killed in action and 77 were lightly or severely wounded. The mechanism of wounding included shell fragments in 44 soldiers (47.8%), antipersonnel mines and gunshot projectiles in 14 soldiers each (15.3%), and others (fall, blow, stress, etc.) in 20 soldiers (21.7%). Death was recorded in 1 of 13 soldiers (7.1%) with gunshot wounds, 11 of 44 soldiers (25%) wounded by shell projectiles, and 4 of 14 soldiers (28.5%) wounded by antipersonnel mines. All injuries inflicted by shell fragments were multiple, whereas the type and severity of injury inflicted by antipersonnel mines were directly related to the type of mine. Pressure-activated mines generally caused limited injuries to the lower extremities, ranging from mutilation to amputation. Injuries inflicted by other antipersonnel mines resembled those caused by shell projectiles; however, their severity depends on a number of factors.