| Counteroffensive at Lučane | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley | |||||||
 Counteroffensive of Serbian Police in the village of Lučane on 27 November 2000 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac |
 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ridvan Qazimi "Lleshi' Njazi Azemi "Mjekrra" |
Ninoslav Krstić | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
unknown |
 Police of Serbia | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
unknown |
First attack: 3 killed 5 wounded[1] Second attack: 4 more killed 2 more wounded | ||||||
The Counteroffensive at Lučane (Serbian: Kontraofanziva na Lučane) was the result of a series of synchronized attacks by the Albanian militant group Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac, UÇPMB, between 21–27 November 2000. The counteroffensive lasted for 2 days and was a failure. While part of Lučane was taken back by Serbs, the UÇPMB later attacked the Serbs and forced them to retreat back to their positions.
Background
On 12 June 1999, one day after signing of the Kumanovo agreement, which ended the Kosovo War, ethnic Albanian separatists[2][3][4] and former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans created the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac, UÇPMB.
An insurgency later broke out the same day between the UÇPMB and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was able to do nothing due to the restrictions prohibiting the use of planes, tanks or any other heavier weapons, so the area became a haven for drug smuggling and operations against Yugoslav forces.[5]
During 1999 rebels did not enter an open conflict with the police. Instead, they battled them with the mortars from the distance, so Serbs were unable to respond.
Between 21–27 November 2000, the Albanian militant group UÇPMB launched a series of synchronized attacks on the Dobrosin security checkpoint, and on the positions of the police on the corners of Devojačka Čuka and Osoje during the 1999–2001 Insurgency in the Preševo Valley.[6][7]
Serb counterattack
On the 27 November 2000, the Serbs launched their counterattack against the UÇPMB. Parts of Lučane were liberated from the UÇPMB, but they couldn't continue any further than half of the city.
UÇPMB counterattack
First attack
After the Serb counterattack, the UÇPMB fought heavily with the Serbs. Due to the Heavy fighting, members of the MUP from Gornji Milanovac were forced to withdraw to Konculj, Lučane and Bujanovac.[8][9] The attack resulted in 3 killed and 5 wounded.[1]
Second attack
Serb police retreated from the Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) after four policemen were killed and another two wounded, after which the UÇPMB took control over Dobrosin, Lučane, Končulj, Mali Trnovac and Breznica, as well as 4 police stations.[10][11]
References
- ^ a b Qeriqi, Ahmet (2016-11-27). "Më 27 nëntor të vitit 2000 UÇPMB-ja kishte ndërmarrë aksione kundër policisë serbe në Dobrosin". Radio Kosova e Lirë. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ Kosovo Liberation Army: The Inside Story of an Insurgency, Henry H. Perritt
- ^ Reflections on the Balkan Wars: Ten Years After the Break-up of Yugoslavia, Jeffrey S. Morton, Stefano Bianchini, Craig Nation, Paul Forage
- ^ War in the Balkans, 1991–2002, R. Craig Nation
- ^ Insurgencies in southern Serbia and northern Macedonia (1999 - 2001): Every Day, retrieved 2022-09-18
- ^ "Ceasefire agreed in southern Serbia". BBC News. 25 November 2000.
- ^ "Uhapšeni Albanci otimali i kasapili Srbe". Večernje Novosti. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ Yugoslav Survey. Indiana University: Jugoslavija Publishing House. 2000.
- ^ Mukarji, Apratim (2001). Assertive democracy : transition in Yugoslavia : selected documents. Apratim Mukarji, K. G. Tyagi, Indian Council of Social Science Research. New Delhi: Indian Council of Social Science Research and Manak Publications. p. 442. ISBN 81-7827-024-2. OCLC 47667218.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Ceasefire agreed in southern Serbia". BBC News. 25 November 2000.
- ^ "Uhapšeni Albanci otimali i kasapili Srbe". Večernje Novosti. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.