Operation Return (2001) Explained

Conflict:Operation Return
Partof:the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
Date:14 March 2001 – 1 June 2001
Place:Ground Safety Zone, FR Yugoslavia
Result:Yugoslav victory
Territory:FR Yugoslavia regains control of demilitarized Ground Safety Zone
Combatant1: UÇPMB
Commander1: Muhamet Xhemajl
Ridvan Qazimi
Shaqir Shaqiri
Mustafa Shaqiri
Commander2: Ninoslav Krstić
Goran Radosavljević
Nebojša Čović
Strength1: 1,600 militants[1]
Strength2: 3,500 personnel
100 JSO members[2]
Casualties1: 300[3] -350[4] soldiers surrendered
Casualties2: 1+ armored carrier damaged

Operation Return was an operation carried by the FR Yugoslavia against the UÇPMB during the insurgency in the Preševo Valley. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Yugoslav forces and the annexation of the Demilitarized Zone on the Serb-Kosovar border.

Aftermath

After the Presevo valley conflict, low intensity skirmishes happened occasionally with the most recent one being in 2014 by a suspected Wahhabi member on the Serbian Gendarmery.

Those skirmishes eventually led to the Crisis in the Preševo valley.

Notes and References

  1. News: Kosovo rebels accept peace talks. BBC News. 7 February 2001. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222130614/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1159097.stm. 22 February 2014.
  2. Web site: Da li je vreme za združene snage na jugu Srbije.
  3. Web site: Yugoslavia began sending security forces into the buffer zone at the border between Serbia and Kosovo (translated). 2001-05-24. 1tv.ru. ru. 2024-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20140814214948/http://www.1tv.ru/news/world/107243. 2014-08-14.
  4. Web site: The FRY Army conducts Operation Bravo (translated). 2001-05-24. Russian service. ru. 2024-05-16.