Prior to the Bosnian War, there was a significant population of ethnic Croats within Derventa, while the majority were Bosniaks. When the war started, some of the prominent Serbs within the town were supported by the SNSD, and took up certain positions of power. During the war, the major fighting factions were the HVO and the VRS, with some units from the ARBiH participating in the conflict. The HVO lost control of Derventa after Operacija Koridor '92 by the VRS and they were pushed up north, and as a result of the battle most of the Croats and Bosniaks were ethnically cleansed from the area, and Serb refugees from war-affected regions of both Croatia and Serbia shortly settled in the town.