Ljuboten incident
2001 military attack in Macedonia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ljuboten clashes, (Macedonian: Љуботенските судири, Albanian: Përplasjet e Lubotenit), also referred to as the Ljubotenski Bacila massacre,[12] (Macedonian: Масакрот на Љуботенски Бачила), happened on 10 August, 2001, when a Macedonian Army truck convoy composed of reservists ran over a landmine near the village of Ljuboten, killing eight men.[13] Immediately after the attack fighting between Albanian rebels and Macedonian forces erupted.[14][15] The Macedonian government officially blamed the NLA for the attack.[16] The leader of the NLA, Ali Ahmeti, did not confirm NLA involvement in planting the mines, suggested the devices might have been placed by government forces to prevent rebel crossings, and expressed his regret at the incident.[17]
Ljuboten massacre | |
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Location | Ljuboten, Macedonia |
Date | 12 August 2001 |
Target | Albanian civilians |
Attack type | Massacre |
Deaths | 10 killed |
Injured | 150 injured[18] |
Perpetrators | Macedonian Police led by Johan Tarčulovski[11] |
Motive | Revenge |
Ljuboten Incident | |||||
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Part of 2001 insurgency in Macedonia | |||||
| |||||
Belligerents | |||||
National Liberation Army (initial attack denied by Ali Ahmeti) | Macedonia | ||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||
Xhavit Hasani Nazmi Sulejmani Muzafer Agushi [sq] †[1][2][3] |
Ljube Boškoski Johan Tarčulovski[4] | ||||
Units involved | |||||
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari" | Army Reservists | ||||
Strength | |||||
25 insurgents[5] | Unknown | ||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
1 killed[6][7] |
8 killed[8] 8 wounded[9] | ||||
10 ethnic Albanian civilians killed in later police action 150 ethnic Albanians injured[10] Hundreds of ethnic Albanians arrested[11] 14 ethnic Albanian homes burned[11] |