Battle of Vaksince explained

Conflict:Battle of Vaksince
Partof:the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
Date:3 May 2001  - 6 June 2001
Place:Vaksince, Lipkovo, Macedonia
Result:NLA victory
Territory:
  • NLA captured Vaksince on 3 May 2001[1]
  • Macedonian forces initially regained control over Vaksince on 26 May 2001[2] [3]
  • NLA recaptured parts of the village on 28 May, but still the majority of the village was under government control[4]
  • NLA militants finally recaptured the village on 6 June[5]
Combatant1: Macedonia[6]
Combatant2: National Liberation Army
Commander1: Boris Trajkovski
Ljubčo Georgievski
Pande Petrovski
Ljube Boškoski
Commander2: Fadil Nimani[7] [8]
Nazim Bushi[9]
Naim Alili
Nazmi Sulejmani
Hajrulla Misini
Units1:

Scorpions[10]
Units2: 114th Brigade
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari"
Strength1: 2 Mi-24 helicopters[11]
3 T-55 tanks[12]
Strength2: 50 militants[13]
Casualties1: 2 killed
4 wounded[14] [15]
1 POW
Casualties2: 2 killed[16]
1 seriously wounded[17]
Casualties3:12,000 ethnic Albanian civilians displaced[18]
9,500 fled to Kosovo
2,500 fled to Serbia

The Battle of Vaksince was a military engagement between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents belonging to the NLA, which was at the time launching a campaign of guerrilla attacks against facilities of the Macedonian Government, the Macedonian Police force, and the Macedonian Armed Forces.[19] [20]

Timeline

NLA attack and Macedonian counter-offensive

On 3 May, the NLA launched an attack on Macedonian security forces in Vaksince, near Kumanovo, killing two Macedonian soldiers and kidnapping a third.[21] [1] [22] The NLA then went on to occupy the village and declared the area in and around Vaksince as a "liberated zone".[23]

On the same day, Macedonian forces decided to launch a counter-offensive to reclaim the village seized by the NLA.[24] [25] Macedonian forces began the offensive with helicopter gunships and artillery that fired on and around the village of Vaksince.[26]

Macedonian Army officials claimed to have managed to destroy fourteen NLA entrenched positions, eight machine-gun bunkers, seven sniper nests, six control points, three arms storage facilities, and one mortar position during the offensive.[27] During the offensive 3 Macedonian soldiers were wounded. The NLA also claimed to have shot down one MI-24 attack helicopter.[14]

Army spokesman Gjorgji Trendafilov told the Associated Press that the NLA was holding thousands of villagers as human shields.[23] This was denied by the NLA, who also accused government forces of indiscriminate attacks against Albanian civilians.[28] [29]

Second Macedonian offensive

On 24 May 2001, Macedonian security forces launched another general offensive against the NLA in Kumanovo.[30] Fighting continued into the next day and turned into urban warfare. The police and army infantry had to fight for every house in the large villages of Vaksince and Lojane, two NLA strongholds, as the NLA resisted fiercely. A special police unit called the "Tigers", who specialised in urban counter-guerrilla fighting, was also deployed.[31] On 26 May, NLA rebels withdrew to the hills around Vaksince.[32] With the withdrawal of the NLA, the Macedonian security forces moved in and recaptured Vaksince.[33] During the clashes, Fadil Nimani, main commander of the NLA in Vaksince, fell in battle, while one Macedonian police officer was wounded.[15]

NLA counter-offensive

While the Macedonian Army captured Vaksince on 26 May, the NLA regained territory in Vaksince within three days.[4] On 6 June, the NLA retook Vaksince,[34] [35] Gjorgji Trendafilov denied that the army had been forced out and claimed that there were no "terrorists" in Vaksince and that the army was still in its positions. Nevertheless, the Macedonian army shelled Vaksince on 6 June, setting a house on fire, which according to CNN would have been unlikely if they still had occupied the area. The claims of Gjorgji Trendafilov as well as other Macedonians, that claimed, that they had Vaksince under their control, were proven to be false by independent observers as well as the NLA itself.[36] The Vaksince mosque's minaret was demolished from shelling.[37] [38]

On 7 June, Hysamedin Halili (then Mayor of the Lipkovo Municipality) confirmed that the NLA recaptured Vaksince.[39]

Personnel killed in the battle

NLA personnel

Macedonian personnel

Aftermath

Human Rights Watch concluded that Macedonian forces were arresting and beating Albanian civilians during and after their offensive from 24 to 26 May 2001.[44]

According to the NLA, Macedonian forces attempted to raid Vaksince in October, but were stopped by them.[45]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brussels . Nicholas Wood in Kumanovo Macedonia, and agencies in . 2001-05-04 . Macedonia strikes at rebels . 2023-01-25 . the Guardian . en . 4 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221104234342/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/04/balkans . live .
  2. News: Macedonia seizes rebel villages . 2023-01-25 . The Irish Times . en . 4 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221104234338/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/macedonia-seizes-rebel-villages-1.309895 . live .
  3. Web site: Archives . L. A. Times . 2001-05-26 . Rebels Forced From Sites, Macedonia Says . 2023-01-25 . Los Angeles Times . en-US . 16 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221216215249/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-26-mn-2763-story.html . live .
  4. Web site: Terzieff . Juliette . 2001-06-13 . Rebels humiliate Macedonian army / Kosovo veterans close to capital . 2023-01-26 . SFGATE . en-US . Government forces have been able to claim few successes in the conflict. When they drove the NLA out of the village of Vaksince two weeks ago, it took less than three days for the rebels to regain a foothold. . 26 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126014742/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Rebels-humiliate-Macedonian-army-Kosovo-2910660.php . live .
  5. Web site: CNN.com - NATO slams Macedonia rebel attacks - June 7, 2001 . 2023-01-23 . edition.cnn.com . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123041011/https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/07/macedonia.riot.02/index.html . live .
  6. News: Macedonia targets rebel stronghold . BBC News . 26 May 2001 . 19 May 2022 . 19 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220519150424/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1352547.stm . live .
  7. Web site: Убиен Фадил Лимани, командант на терористите за Куманово. Вест. 2001-05-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002135805/http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=8945&idg=1&idb=266&rubrika=Makedonija. 2013-10-02.
  8. http://lajmpress.com/oo/maqedoni/5447.html "Komandantët e UÇK-së, disa të vrarë, disa në arrati, shumica në poste"
  9. http://ictytranscripts.dyndns.org/trials/boskoski_tarculovski/070925ED.htm{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  10. Web site: 5 May 2001. Уште двајца убиени војници, еден киднапиран, АРМ удри по терористите кои прогласија слободна територија. Вест. 2015-02-12. 2016-03-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213329/http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=7665&idg=1&idb=246&rubrika=Makedonija. dead.
  11. Web site: Macedonian rebels under fire . 2023-01-25 . News24 . en-US . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233429/https://www.news24.com/news24/macedonian-rebels-under-fire-20010525 . live .
  12. Web site: CNN.com - Macedonia attacks rebel bases - May 24, 2001 . 2023-01-25 . edition.cnn.com . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233429/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/05/24/macedonia.fighting/index.html . live .
  13. News: Mazedonien: Offensive gegen Rebellen verschärft Krise . de . FAZ.NET . 2023-02-25 . 0174-4909 . 30 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230130031025/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/mazedonien-offensive-gegen-rebellen-verschaerft-krise-120333.html . live .
  14. News: Politik: Mazedonien: Albaner räumen umkämpfte Orte nicht . de-DE . Der Tagesspiegel Online . 2023-01-25 . 1865-2263 . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233429/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/mazedonien-albaner-raumen-umkampfte-orte-nicht-790918.html . live .
  15. Web site: Mazedonische Polizei erlangt Kontrolle über Vaksince und Lojane . 2023-01-25 . DER STANDARD . de-AT . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233430/https://www.derstandard.at/story/590826/mazedonische-polizei-erlangt-kontrolle-ueber-vaksince-und-lojane . live .
  16. Web site: Dëshmorët . 25 January 2023 . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123045749/https://pashtriku.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/deshmoret-e-UCK-monografi.pdf . live .
  17. Web site: 22 vite nga rënia heroike e dëshmorit të parë nga komuna e Likovës (FOTO) . 3 May 2023 .
  18. Web site: Macedonian rebels under fire . 2023-01-25 . News24 . en-US . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233429/https://www.news24.com/news24/macedonian-rebels-under-fire-20010525 . live .
  19. Web site: 2001-05-29 . Solana breaks Macedonia deadlock . BBC . 9 August 2014 . 30 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180630162233/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1356661.stm . live .
  20. Web site: Brussels . Nicholas Wood in Kumanovo Macedonia, and agencies in . 2001-05-04 . Macedonia strikes at rebels . 2023-01-24 . the Guardian . en . 4 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221104234342/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/04/balkans . live .
  21. https://archive.today/20120709210715/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-03/world/macedonia.unrest_1_macedonian-soldiers-albanian-party-bitola?_s=PM:WORLD "Soldiers killed in Macedonia"
  22. Book: Daskalovski, Zidas . The Macedonian Conflict Of 2001: Between Successful Diplomacy, Rhetoric And Terror . Centre for Post-Communist Studies, St. Francis Xavier University . 2004 . 5 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120503090057/http://www.mystfx.ca/pinstitutes/cpcs/studies-in-post-communism/Daskalovski2004.pdf . 3 May 2012 . dead . 8, 45.
  23. https://archive.today/20130119211716/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-03/world/macedonia.unrest.03_1_macedonian-soldiers-macedonian-forces-kumanovo?_s=PM:WORLD "Macedonia attacks rebel forces"
  24. News: 2001-05-03 . Macedonia army begins offensive . en-GB . 2023-01-25 . 25 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220425171203/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1310372.stm . live .
  25. https://archive.today/20120707210242/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-03/world/macedonia.unrest.02_1_macedonian-forces-kumanovo-ethnic-albanian-rebels?_s=PM:WORLD "Macedonia moves against rebels"
  26. News: 2001-05-04 . Macedonia villagers caught in crossfire . en-GB . 2023-01-25 . 8 January 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070108143407/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1311717.stm . live.
  27. http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=7824&idg=1&idb=248&rubrika=Makedonija "Кумановски Фронт – Лабава офанзива или затишје пред бура?"
  28. Web site: Human shield fears in Macedonia . https://web.archive.org/web/20010506125143/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/05/05/macedonia.warning.02/index.html . 6 May 2001 . 25 January 2023 . CNN.
  29. Web site: Archives . L. A. Times . 2001-05-05 . Offensive Against Rebels Continues . 2023-01-25 . Los Angeles Times . en-US . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125233430/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-05-mn-59662-story.html . live .
  30. http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=8880&idg=1&idb=264&rubrika=Makedonija "АРМ конечно удри врз терористите"
  31. http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=8926&idg=1&idb=265&rubrika=Makedonija "Ваксинце се освојува куќа по куќа, жесток отпор од терористите"
  32. News: 2001-05-26 . Macedonia targets rebel stronghold . en-GB . 2023-01-25 . 19 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220519150424/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1352547.stm . live .
  33. https://archive.today/20130119100135/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-26/world/macedonia.fighting_1_kumanovo-albanian-macedonian-troops?_s=PM:WORLD "Macedonian forces take villages"
  34. Web site: CNN.com - NATO slams Macedonia rebel attacks - June 7, 2001 . 2023-01-25 . edition.cnn.com . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123041011/https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/07/macedonia.riot.02/index.html . live .
  35. News: 2001-06-08 . Verletzte bei Ausschreitungen in Mazedonien . de-CH . Neue Zürcher Zeitung . 2023-11-29 . 0376-6829 . Die militärische Lage im Land war unklar. Nach einigen Meldungen sind die albanischen Freischärler erneut in die Dörfer Vaksince und Matejce vorgedrungen, aus denen die Sicherheitskräfte sie zuvor vertrieben hatten, und bereiteten zudem einen Angriff auf Aracinovo vor, eine grosse Ortschaft nahe der Autobahn von Skopje zum Flughafen. Die politische Lage war ebenso unklar..
  36. News: Rathfelder . Erich . 2001-06-08 . Brennende Häuser in Bitola . de . 10 . Die Tageszeitung: taz . 2023-11-28 . 0931-9085 . Alle Siegesmeldungen der makedonischen Seite, sie hätten Vaksince und Slupcane in ihrer Hand, sind nach Angaben von Beobachtern und der UÇK falsch. . All reports of victory from the Macedonian side, claiming that they have Vaksince and Slupcane under their control, are false according to observers and the UÇK..
  37. Web site: Rebels Battle Army in Macedonia .
  38. Web site: Ethnic Albanians Flee Drive By Macedonia Against Rebels . New York Times . 26 May 2001.
  39. Web site: Robertson: NATO, gati që të çarmatosë UÇK - Shqiptarja.com . 2023-01-27 . shqiptarja.com . sq . 27 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230127053356/https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/Robertson-NATO-gati-q-t-armatos-UK . live .
  40. Web site: Убиен Фадил Лимани, командант на терористите за Куманово. Вест. 2001-05-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002135805/http://star.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=8945&idg=1&idb=266&rubrika=Makedonija. 2013-10-02.
  41. Web site: 22 vite nga rënia heroike e dëshmorit të parë nga komuna e Likovës (FOTO) . 3 May 2023 .
  42. Web site: 3 May 2013. 12 години од трагичното загинување на Петров и Двојаковски. Сител. 2015-02-12. 2013-05-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20130506030850/http://sitel.com.mk/12-godini-od-tragichnoto-zaginuvanje-na-petrov-i-dvojakovski. dead.
  43. Web site: 3 May 2013. 12 години од трагичното загинување на Петров и Двојаковски. Сител. 2015-02-12. 2013-05-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20130506030850/http://sitel.com.mk/12-godini-od-tragichnoto-zaginuvanje-na-petrov-i-dvojakovski. dead.
  44. Web site: Macedonian Police Abuses Documented. Human Rights Watch. 31 May 2001 . 2023-01-26 . phdn.org . 26 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126020505/https://phdn.org/archives/www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/Macedonia/news3.htm . live .
  45. Web site: Griffin . David . Ethnic Albanian rebels accept government-declared amnesty . 2023-09-03 . www.newson6.com . en . 26 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126015258/https://www.newson6.com/story/5e3681152f69d76f620954b4/ethnic-albanian-rebels-accept-governmentdeclared-amnesty . live .

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