Combatants
Organizations
This article possibly contains original research .(November 2023) |
This article possibly contains original research .(November 2023) |
The National Liberation Army, also known as the Macedonian UÇK was an ethnic Albanian militant and separatist militia that operated in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 and was closely associated with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Following the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia, it was disarmed through the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which gave greater rights and autonomy to the state's Macedonian Albanians.
Lipkovo is a municipality in the north part of North Macedonia. Lipkovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Lipkovo Municipality is part of the Northeastern Statistical Region.
The 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia was an armed conflict which began when the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) insurgent group, formed from veterans of the Kosovo War and Insurgency in the Preševo Valley, attacked Macedonian security forces at the end of January 2001, and ended with the Ohrid Agreement, signed on 13 August of that same year. There were also claims that the NLA ultimately wished to see Albanian-majority areas secede from the country, though high-ranking members of the group have denied this. The conflict lasted throughout most of the year, although overall casualties remained limited to several dozen individuals on either side, according to sources from both sides of the conflict. With it, the Yugoslav Wars had reached the Republic of Macedonia which had achieved peaceful independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
The Battle of Tetovo, was the largest engagement during the 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia, in which Macedonian security forces battled the National Liberation Army (NLA) for control of the city.
Operation MH-2 was a military operation in the Kumanovo-Lipkovo region during the insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia.
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.
Vaksince is a village in the municipality of Lipkovo, North Macedonia.
The Aračinovo crisis was a series of events triggered by the occupation of the village of Aračinovo, in the outskirts of the Macedonian capital Skopje, by the insurgent National Liberation Army (NLA) in June 2001 and the consequent attempts by the Macedonian army (ARM) to retake the settlement. The Macedonian attack resulted in a standoff with NATO, whose troops evacuated the besieged rebels after a ceasefire accord. The crisis is considered to be the turning point in the Macedonian war of 2001, and one of its most controversial incidents.
Operation MH-1 was a Macedonian military operation with the goal to clear out the NLA rebels from the Skopska Crna Gora region all along the Macedonian border. The offensive started on March 28, 2001, and ended the next day.
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.
The Brest attack was an attack by the National Liberation Army (NLA), near the village of Brest on 10 March 2001 during the insurgency in Macedonia. the NLA ambushed a Macedonian convoy, after they were defeated and forced to withdraw by KFOR troops in the village of Tanuševci.
The Battle of Matejče was a military confrontation between the National Liberation Army (NLA) and the Macedonian Army in the village of Matejče during the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia. The NLA succeeded in capturing the village on 5 June 2001 and the Macedonian Army was forced to withdraw from Matejče. The Macedonian Army continued to shell Matejče until 11 June 2001.
The Battle of Slupčane was a military confrontation between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents belonging to the National Liberation Army (NLA), which at the time, was launching a campaign of guerrilla attacks against facilities of the Macedonian Government, the Macedonian Police force, and the Macedonian Armed Forces. The NLA was victorious, in part due to the withdrawal of Macedonian forces and suspension of all military operations in Kumanovo–Lipkovo region so that international officials could inspect the water supply.
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.
The Battle of Nikuštak was a military engagement in 2001 between the National Liberation Army (NLA) and the Macedonian Army in the village of Nikuštak, Macedonia. Macedonian forces launched a large-scale offensive in Nikuštak on 27 June 2001.
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.
Nazmi Sulejmani, , better known as Komandant Arusha, was an Albanian commander of the National Liberation Army (NLA) during the insurgency in Macedonia in 2001. He was born in Aračinovo.
The Battle of Tanuševci was the first gun battle between the National Liberation Army (NLA) and the Macedonian security forces in the insurgency in Macedonia.
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. 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.
Macedonia yesterday [1 March] ratified a long-awaited border treaty with Serbia, in spite of tensions over the occupation of a mountain village by ethnic Albanian extremists from Kosovo. The takeover at Tanusevci, close to the border with Serbia, poses the most serious threat to Macedonia's stability since the Kosovo conflict …
In late May, government forces registered their first success with the recapture of Vaksince, which was visited by Ljube Boskovski, the Interior Minister. Government forces were supposed to resume their attack on the villages of Slupcane, Lipkovo and Matejce, but the offensive stalled when a special forces unit mutinied and had to be withdrawn from the front line.
Fighting around Matejce lasted from May 28 until June 5. The first sign that the battle against the UCK was not going well came when the Macedonian forces were finally forced to retreat.
The fighting of Albanians ended up with a success in the region of Kumanovo. The Albanian rebels, concerning the inaction of the government forces, took control of the area from the Matejche (Matejce) village to the Lipkovo Lake. As a result, their posi-tions allowed to observe the region of the capital of Macedonia – Skopje.