The ARBiH made limited gains in the area of northern Herzegovina and around Mostar, but did not achieve a breakthrough to the southern Neretva, where the HVO retained control.

The ARBiH troops launched coordinated attacks against HVO-held enclaves in the Lašva Valley and on the entire confrontation line from south of Gornji Vakuf to Jablanica, through Mostar and further southward to the Buna River.

The focus of the ARBiH attack was the HVO stronghold of Vrdi near the Neretva River in order to gain control of the northern and western approaches to Mostar.

While the initial ARBiH attack on the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) defenders of the village on 19 September was unsuccessful, a second assault on 4 October was more successful.

[8] It was reported that 29 Croat civilians and one prisoner of war were killed by the Prozor Independent Battalion and members of the local police force.

The ARBiH managed to secure ground between Jablanica and Vrdi and take control over the road from Grabovica through Potoci and Vrapčići into northeast Mostar.