Croatian Homeland War, which was fought between 1991 and 1995, was a defensive war of liberation. The aggression against Croatia was carried out by Serbian rebels in Croatia with the support of Yugoslav People's Army - "JNA". The war can be divided into several phases. The first phase was the aggression on Croatia, while the second phase is marked by the arrival of UNPROFOR international peacekeeping forces. After unsuccessful attempts at a peaceful settlement of the problem of occupied areas, Croatia, in the last stages of the war, decided to return the occupied territories to its control with military intervention. Operation "Storm" was carried out by five military districts. Zadar hinterland was under the jurisdiction of the Split Military District. Specifically, this area was the responsibility of Operational Group Zadar. The operation, which lasted from August 4th till August 8th 1995, liberated 18% of the national territory. What has cast a shadow over the operation were allegations that after the operation "Storm" war crimes occurred, and that the Croatian army carried out ethnic cleansing of indigenous Serbs. Presented documents prove that the exodus of Serbs started before the operation, and that the evacuation of the population was organized by the army of Serbian rebels, therefore refuting the ethnic cleansing hypothesis. Liberation of the town of Knin, which was the military center of Serb rebellion, was of great moral significance to Croatia.