| Battle of Lojane | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of 2001 insurgency in Macedonia | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Macedonia |
 National Liberation Army | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Boris Trajkovski Ljubčo Georgievski Pande Petrovski Ljube Boškoski |
Xhezair Shaqiri Naim Alili Nazmi Sulejmani Commander Shpati | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Macedonian Army Macedonian Police |
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari" 114th Brigade | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Unknown number of tanks and helicopters[1] |
Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
3 wounded[4][5] 1 wounded[5] |
Several killed and wounded[6] | ||||||||
| 2,000 Albanian civilians displaced[5] | |||||||||
The Battle of Lojane was a military engagement between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian militants belonging to the NLA.
Background
In May 2001, NLA militants led by Fadil Nimani and Zaim Zeqiri infiltrated Macedonia and set up bases in several villages to the north of Kumanovo.[7]
On May 3 2001, the NLA launched a three-pronged attack on the villages of Vaksince, Slupčane, Orizare and Lojane in the Kumanovo region,[8] which instigated an Immediate response by the Macedonian Army.[9] Macedonian Mil Mi-24 gunships and T-55 tanks were seen shooting at rebel positions, trying to drive them out.
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.[10] During the offensive 3 Macedonian soldiers were wounded. The NLA also claimed to have shot down one MI-24 attack helicopter but the claim was proven to be false.[4]
Army spokesman Gjorgji Trendafilov told the Associated Press that the NLA was holding thousands of villagers as human shields.[11] This was denied by the NLA, who also accused government forces of indiscriminate attacks against Albanian civilians.[12][13]
On May 8 2001, 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.[14] However, around 2 p.m., the operation was abruptly halted by orders from Boris Trajkovski, conveyed over a phone call to General Pande Petrovski.[15] 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.[16] The evacuation process was scheduled to commence the next day, after which Macedonian security forces would resume their military actions.[17][18]
On May 16 2001, Macedonian army again shelled the village of Lojane, setting homes on fire, also during the heavy artillery shelling and mass fighting the villagers can also hear distant gunshots and heavy fighting from Yugoslav territory, there the Yugoslav police and army were in heavy fighting with the LAPMB militants.[19]
Battle
On 24 May 2001, Macedonian security forces launched another general offensive against the NLA in Kumanovo.[20][21] 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 Lojane, Vaksince, Radnička Kolonija and Tabanovce 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.[22] On 26 May, NLA militants were forced to withdraw from Lojane, Radnička Kolonija and Tabanovce[23] With the withdrawal of the NLA, the Macedonian security forces moved in and recaptured Lojane, Radnička Kolonija and Tabanovce.[24] During the battle, one Macedonian police officer was wounded and three soldiers were wounded.[5]
Aftermath
On 27 May 2001 The Macedonian army officials said that the army and the police have complete control over the village of Lojane and they also said that there were no militants belonging to the NLA in the village.[25]
After the main battle ended NLA failed to capture Lojane again from the hands of the Macedonian security forces.[3]
Human Rights Watch concluded that Macedonian forces were arresting and beating Albanian civilians during and after their offensive from 24 to 26 May 2001.[26]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Macedonia seizes rebel villages". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 Petrovski, Pande. "Testimonials-2001.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- 1 2 "Politik: Mazedonien: Albaner räumen umkämpfte Orte nicht". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- 1 2 3 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.
- ↑ "Dëshmorët" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ↑ Daskalovski, Zidas (2004). The Macedonian Conflict Of 2001: Between Successful Diplomacy, Rhetoric And Terror (PDF). Centre for Post-Communist Studies, St. Francis Xavier University. pp. 8, 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ↑ Press, The Associated (2001-05-04). "New Offensive Against Rebels In Macedonia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ "Macedonia army begins offensive". 2001-05-03. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ "КУМАНОВСКИ ФРОНТ – Лабава офанзива или затишје пред бура?" Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ВЕСТ. 7 May 2001
- ↑ https://archive.today/20130119211716/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-03/world/macedonia.unrest.03_1_macedonian-soldiers-macedonian-forces-kumanovo?_s=PM:WORLD
- ↑ "Human shield fears in Macedonia". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 May 2001. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (2001-05-05). "Offensive Against Rebels Continues". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ↑ "CNN.com - Shelling resumes in Macedonia - May 6, 2001". 2002-03-07. Archived from the original on 2002-03-07. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ "CNN.com - Macedonia attacks rebel forces - May 3, 2001". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "8, May-2001". tanusevci.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ "9, May-2001". tanusevci.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ↑ https://www.rferl.org/a/1096445.html
- ↑ "АРМ конечно удри врз терористите" Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ВЕСТ. 25 May 2001
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Ваксинце се освојува куќа по куќа, жесток отпор од терористите" Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ВЕСТ. 26 May 2001
- ↑ "Macedonia targets rebel stronghold". 2001-05-26. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ↑ "Macedonian forces take villages". CNN World. 26 May 2001
- ↑ https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/05/27/macedonia.conflict/
- ↑ "Macedonian Police Abuses Documented. Human Rights Watch. 31 May 2001". phdn.org. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-26.