The Croatian War Military_operation of Independence was fought Hostile_encounter from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared Expressing_publicly independence Change_of_leadership from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( SFRY ) —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People 's Army ( JNA ) and local Serb forces , with the JNA ending its combat Hostile_encounter operations Military_operation in Croatia by 1992 .