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Battle of Slupčane

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Battle of Slupčane
Part of the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
Date2 May–11 June 2001
Location
Slupčane, Macedonia
Result NLA victory[1][2]
Belligerents
National Liberation Army  Macedonia
Commanders and leaders
Jakup Asipi
Beqir Sadiku
Sead Ramadani
Nazmi Sulejmani
Jetullah Qarri
Lefter Koxhaj		 Boris Trajkovski
North Macedonia Ljubčo Georgievski
Army of the Republic of Macedonia Pande Petrovski
Ljube Boškoski
Units involved
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari"[3]
Skanderbeg special unit		 Army of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonian Army
Macedonian Police
"Tiger" Special Police Unit
Strength
100 militants[4] Unknown
Army of the Republic of Macedonia Unknown
Army of the Republic of Macedonia 3 T-55 tanks
Army of the Republic of Macedonia 2 Mil Mi-24s[5]
Casualties and losses
9 killed[6] Army of the Republic of Macedonia 6 killed[7][8][9][10]
Army of the Republic of Macedonia 2 POWs[11]
10 albanian civilians killed by macedonian shelling

The Battle of Slupčane (Macedonian: Битка за Слупчане, Albanian: Beteja e Sllupçanit) 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[12] and suspension of all military operations in Kumanovo–Lipkovo region so that international officials could inspect the water supply.[13]

Battle

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Initial NLA attack and Macedonian response

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On 3 May 2001, the NLA infiltrated the villages of Slupčane and Vaksince, killing two Macedonian soldiers and capturing another one.[14][15][16][17] This caused an almost immediate response by the Macedonian government, who launched an assault against the NLA in Slupčane and Vaksince.[17][16][18] The Macedonian Army used Mil Mi-24s and tanks with the goal of driving the NLA out of Slupčane.[19][5] However, the advance stalled when the NLA was not showing any signs of withdrawal.[19] According to a NLA commander, during the assault, five Albanian civilians were killed.[20]

Operation MH-2

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The most intensive clashes occurred during the first large-scale offensive in Kumanovo, code-named Operation MH-2, on 8 May 2001, at the entrance of the village. Macedonian Army infantry launched an onslaught, deploying one mechanized battalion and using heavy artillery and Mil Mi-24s, causing some NLA rebels to leave their positions.[21][22] The offensive started on 8 a.m but was stopped by Boris Trajkovski at 2 p.m, leaving the NLA in control of the village.[23][failed verification]

Continued fighting and Macedonian shelling

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On 13 May, Macedonian forces launched an operation to dislodge rebel positions at Slupčane and Vaksince. The Macedonian Army claimed to have hit two NLA columns, killing 30 insurgents.[24]

From 14 to 16 May, Macedonian forces engaged rebel positions close to Slupčane. The Macedonian army described the action as the "worst fighting" since 3 May.[25][26]

On 17 May, the Macedonian Army pounded the village with artillery from a safe distance, but ceased shelling after firing six rounds.[27][28]

On 22 May, NLA rebels attacked Macedonian positions near Slupčane and Vaksince. Macedonian forces responded by shelling the village. The NLA claimed that six civilians were wounded and that the minaret of the mosque in Vaksince had been destroyed.[29]

Third Macedonian assault

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On 24 May, the Macedonian military stormed insurgent positions to reclaim control of ten NLA-held villages in Kumanovo and Karadak region. The operation utilized tanks, artillery, and helicopter gunships to attack the NLA strongholds of Slupčane and Vaksince, as well as their mountain positions beyond, beginning at 8am. In response, the NLA unleashed a barrage of machine-gun fire.[30][31] During the assult 10 members of an Albanian family were killed by Macedonian shelling, among the dead were women and children. [32]

On 26 May, Macedonian forces managed to retake Vaksince and claimed to have recaptured Lojane, but they were unable to regain control over Slupčane.[33] Macedonian forces continued to blast Slupčane with helicopter gunships and heavy artillery, NLA rebels responded with mortars, wounding two Macedonian soldiers.[33] Although the Macedonian Army entered Vaksince, they were driven out of the village by the NLA, only three days after the initial assault.[34][35]

Fourth Macedonian assault

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From 30 May to 1 June, Macedonian security forces carried out another assault to capture Slupčane, using APC's and T-55 tanks. The village was also shelled on a daily basis.[36][37] The operation was called off, after the "Tiger" Special Forces unit mutinied and had to be withdrawn from the front line, leaving the NLA in control of the village.[12]

Ambush near Slupčane

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On 6 June, NLA insurgents ambushed Macedonian troops near Slupčane, killing five soldiers.[7][38]

Halting of operations by Macedonian forces

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On 11 June 2001, the Macedonian Army received orders to halt all military operations in the Kumanovo-Lipkovo region. Following a Macedonian attack and ensuing clashes on 10 and 11 June, which left one Macedonian commander (Siniša Stoilov) and one civilian dead, the Macedonian army ceased all of its bombardment of positions held by the NLA.[39][10] Hostilities in the vicinity of Slupčane, Orizare, and Matejce also had diminished shortly after.[10]

Aftermath

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On 5 July NLA militants from Slupčane launched attacks on Macedonian Army sites near Kumanovo.[40]

On 9 July the militants captured 2 Macedonian soldiers.[41][better source needed]

References

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  1. ^ Phillips, John (2004-01-01). Macedonia: Warlords and Rebels in the Balkans. Yale University Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-300-10268-0. 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.
  2. ^ "Macedonia: Army Suspends Operations In Kumanovo-Lipkovo". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  3. ^ Ramadani, Venhar (2016-05-02). "Mungoi Ali Ahmeti për homazhe në Sllupçan (Foto)" [Ali Ahmeti was absent for the tribute in Sllupçan (Photo)]. Telegrafi (in Albanian). Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  4. ^ "Rebels Battle Army in Macedonia". archive.globalpolicy.org. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  5. ^ a b "Macedonia backs away from war". CNN. 2001-05-07. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  6. ^ "Dëshmorët" (PDF).
  7. ^ a b Czapliński, Marcin Piotr. "Conflict Prevention and the Issue of Higher Education in the Mother Tongue: The Case of the Republic of Macedonia" (PDF). Another NLA ambush near the village of Slupcane on 6 June resulted in the killing of five soldiers.
  8. ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld - U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2001 - Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of". Refworld. Retrieved 2023-02-25. On June 6, NLA combatants ambushed a Macedonian Army ambulance near Slupcane and killed five soldiers
  9. ^ "Macedonian government launches new attack on rebels". The Guardian. 2001-06-11. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  10. ^ a b c "Macedonia: Army Suspends Operations In Kumanovo-Lipkovo". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  11. ^ https://nikushtak.tripod.com/nikushtak/id9.html
  12. ^ a b Phillips, John (2004-01-01). Macedonia: Warlords and Rebels in the Balkans. Yale University Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-300-10268-0. 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.
  13. ^ "Macedonia: Army Suspends Operations In Kumanovo-Lipkovo". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  14. ^ Daskalovski, Zidas (2004). The Macedonian Conflict Of 2001: Between Successful Diplomacy, Rhetoric And Terror (PDF). Centre for Post-Communist Studies, St. Francis Xavier University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  15. ^ Bellamy, Alex J. (2002-03-01). "The new wolves at the door: Conflict in Macedonia". Civil Wars. 5 (1): 117–144. doi:10.1080/13698240208402497. ISSN 1369-8249. S2CID 144188810.
  16. ^ a b "New Offensive Against Rebels In Macedonia". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2001-05-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  17. ^ a b "Macedonia army begins offensive". BBC News. 2001-05-03. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  18. ^ "Macedonia: Fighting Spreads In Northern Macedonia". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  19. ^ a b Steele, Jonathan; Wood, Nicholas (2001-05-08). "Macedonia pulls back from brink of declaring war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  20. ^ AG, VADIAN NET. "Zivilisten bei mazedonischer Offensive getötet" [Civilians killed in Macedonian offensive]. www.news.ch (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  21. ^ "Терористите се повлекуваат кон планината" Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ВЕСТ. 8 May 2001
  22. ^ "Macedonia rebels under fire". CNN. 2001-05-08. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  23. ^ "Macedonia attacks rebel forces". CNN. 2001-05-03.
  24. ^ "Rebels killed in Macedonia". CNN. 2001-05-13. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  25. ^ "Macedonia - Security: Terrorists in Slupcane resume their attacks". Relief Web International. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  26. ^ "Macedonian "truce" extended indefinitely". RTÉ.ie. 2001-05-17.
  27. ^ "Macedonian forces shell villages". CNN. 2001-05-18. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  28. ^ Thorpe, Nick (2001-05-17). "Inside Macedonia's rebel-held territory". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  29. ^ "Macedonia bombards Albanian rebel positions". the Guardian. 2001-05-22. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  30. ^ Thorpe, Nick (2001-05-25). "Macedonia launches massive offensive". the Guardian. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  31. ^ "Mazedonien: Offensive gegen Rebellen verschärft Krise" [Offensive against rebels deepens crisis]. Frankfurter Allgemeine (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  32. ^ INA (2023-05-24). "22 vite pa 10 anëtaret e Familjes Zymberi nga fshati Sllupçan (FOTO)". INA ONLINE (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  33. ^ a b "Macedonian forces take villages". CNN. 2001-05-26. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19.
  34. ^ Terzieff, Juliette (2001-06-13). "Rebels humiliate Macedonian army / Kosovo veterans close to capital". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-01-26. 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.
  35. ^ "NATO slams Macedonia rebel attacks". CNN. 2001-06-07. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  36. ^ "Fresh fighting hits Macedonia". BBC News. 2 June 2001. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  37. ^ "Macedonia troops battle for village". CNN. 2001-06-02. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  38. ^ U.S. Department of State. "U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2001 - Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of". Refworld. Retrieved 2023-02-25. On June 6, NLA combatants ambushed a Macedonian Army ambulance near Slupcane and killed five soldiers
  39. ^ "Macedonian government launches new attack on rebels". The Guardian. 2001-06-11. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  40. ^ "Nato brokers ceasefire in Macedonia". The Guardian. 2001-07-05. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  41. ^ "9, July-2001". nikushtak.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
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