Battle of Lojane

Last updated
Battle of Lojane
Part of 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
Date24–26 May 2001
Location
Lojane, Lipkovo, Macedonia
Result Government forces victory
Territorial
changes		 Macedonian forces regain complete control of Lojane [1] [2]
Belligerents
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  Macedonia Uck Nla logo.svg National Liberation Army
Commanders and leaders
Coat of arms of the President of Macedonia.svg Boris Trajkovski
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Ljubčo Georgievski
MacedonianArmyLogo.svg Pande Petrovski
Macedonian Police insignia.png Ljube Boškoski 		Uck Nla logo.svg Unknown
Units involved
MacedonianArmyLogo.svg   Macedonian Army
Macedonian Police insignia.png Macedonian Police 		Uck Nla logo.svg Unknown
Strength
MacedonianArmyLogo.svg 2 Mi-24 helicopters [3]
MacedonianArmyLogo.svg Unknown tanks
Macedonian Police insignia.png Unknown		Uck Nla logo.svg None; NLA militants had withdrawn from the village before the apparent engagement [1]
Casualties and losses
Macedonian Police insignia.png NoneUck Nla logo.svg None
Flag of Albania.svg 2,000 Albanian civilians escorted by NLA to southern Serbia [4]

The Battle of Lojane was an apparent military engagement between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents belonging to the NLA. The occurrence of a battle in the village remains uncertain, as per Stevo Pendarovski, the former interior ministry spokesman. [5] According to him, Macedonian forces faced no opposition from the NLA, as the village had been deserted by both the NLA and Albanian civilians before the Macedonian Army and police forces entered. [5]

Contents

Background

Macedonian forces shelled the village on 6 May. [6] On 8 May, Macedonian forces initiated a significant offensive in the Kumanovo-Lipkovo region under the codename Operation MH-2, commencing at 8:00 a.m. The operation began with Macedonian security forces engaging in demining activities in the fields, followed by an assault on the villages of Slupčane, Ljubodrag, Lopate, and Orizare. The offensive was executed by a mechanized battalion with artillery support. However, around 2 p.m., the operation was abruptly halted by orders from Boris Trajkovski, conveyed over a phone call to General Pande Petrovski. [7] Later that evening the two ministries reaffirmed their call for residents in villages including Lojane, Matejče, Slupčane, Otlja, Orizare, Vaksince and to promptly evacuate their homes. [8] The evacuation process was scheduled to commence the next day, after which Macedonian security forces would resume their military actions. [9] [10]

On 16 May 2001, Macedonian army again shelled the village of Lojane, setting homes on fire. [11]

Battle

On 24 May 2001, Macedonian security forces launched another general offensive against the NLA in Kumanovo. [12] [13] Macedonian security forces recaptured Lojane on 26 May. [14] On 27 May 2001, Macedonian security forces confirmed that they had recaptured the village. [15]

A1 reported that on August 22, NLA insurgents attacked Macedonian security forces in Ropalce by firing automatic weapons from Lojane and other villages. [16] Assuming that the NLA had already regained control of the village by that time. [16]

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. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Tanuševci operation was a joint Macedonian-KFOR operation to regain control of the village of Tanuševci which was previously infiltrated by NLA rebels. The operation was successful with NATO-led KFOR forces capturing the village and Macedonian Army units sweeping the area and ambushing the retreating NLA.

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The Lipkovo crisis was a crisis involving Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents from the National Liberation Army (NLA). During the crisis, the NLA captured the Lipkovo dam, which caused a 12-day-long water crisis for the neighboring town of Kumanova. On 18 June 2001, the NLA agreed to let the International Red Cross and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) restart the water supply systems. Macedonian military operations were halted to allow inspectors to access and repair the pumps.

Combatants

The Battle of Orizare was a military engagement between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents belonging to the National Liberation Army (NLA).

Beqir Sadiku, also known as Komandant Sllupçani, was an Albanian commander and prominent fighter of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), National Liberation Army (NLA). He played a significant role in the Kosovo War, the Insurgency in the Presevo Valley, and the Insurgency in Macedonia (2001). As a commander he participated in numerous battles such as the Battle of Pastrik, the Battle of Slupčane and the Battle of Aračinovo.

References

  1. 1 2 "Macedonia seizes rebel villages". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  2. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (2001-05-26). "Rebels Forced From Sites, Macedonia Says". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  3. ↑ "Macedonian rebels under fire". News24. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  4. ↑ "Mazedonische Polizei erlangt Kontrolle über Vaksince und Lojane". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  5. 1 2 "Macedonia seizes rebel villages". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-02-26. Macedonian forces seized two northern villages held by ethnic Albanian rebels yesterday in an almost bloodless operation, as thousands of civilians poured out of the area, government officials said. "Police have entered the villages and there is nobody there. Everyone has gone, the civilians and the militants," an interior ministry spokesman, Mr Stevo Pendarovski, said.
  6. ↑ "CNN.com - Shelling resumes in Macedonia - May 6, 2001". 2002-03-07. Archived from the original on 2002-03-07. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  7. ↑ "CNN.com - Macedonia attacks rebel forces - May 3, 2001". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  8. ↑ Kahl, Thede; Maksuti, Izer; Ramaj, Albert (2006). Die Albaner in der Republik Makedonien: Fakten, Analysen, Meinungen zur interethnischen Koexistenz (in German). Lit. ISBN   978-3-8258-0030-7.
  9. ↑ "8, May-2001". tanusevci.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  10. ↑ "9, May-2001". tanusevci.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  11. ↑ Naegele, Jolyon (9 April 2008). "Macedonia: War Comes to a Village". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  12. ↑ "АРМ конечно удри врз терористите" Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine . ВЕСТ. 25 May 2001
  13. ↑ "Mazedonien: Offensive gegen Rebellen verschärft Krise". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN   0174-4909. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  14. ↑ "Macedonian forces take villages - CNN". archive.ph. 2013-01-19. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  15. ↑ "CNN.com - Macedonia shells rebel strongholds - May 27, 2001". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. 1 2 "А1: Терористите ограбуваат македонски куќи - Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС". mcms.mk. Retrieved 2024-02-26. Во кумановско - липковскиот регион терористите со автоматско оружје ги провоцирале македонските безбедносни сили од реоните на селата Матејче, Букурица и Никуштак, а синоќа и од реонот на село Лојане. Со митралески оган терористите пукале врз македонските позиции кај пунктот Млин од реонот на село Ропаљце на што било возвратено.[In the Kumanovo - Lipkovo region, terrorists with automatic weapons provoked the Macedonian security forces from the areas of the villages of Matejche, Bukurica and Nikushtak, and last night also from the area of the village of Lojane. With machine gun fire, the terrorists fired at the Macedonian positions at the Mlin point in the area of the village of Ropaljce, Fire was retaliated.]
  17. ↑ "Macedonian Police Abuses Documented. Human Rights Watch. 31 May 2001". phdn.org. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
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