Ljuboten Incident
Part of 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
DateClashes: 10 August 2001
Massacre: 12 August 2001
Location
Ljuboten, Macedonia
Result Start of the Police action in Ljuboten
Belligerents
National Liberation Army (initial attack denied by Ali Ahmeti)  Macedonia
Commanders and leaders
Xhavit Hasani
Nazmi Sulejmani
Muzafer Agushi †[1][2][3]		 North Macedonia Johan Tarčulovski[4]
Units involved
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari" Army of the Republic of Macedonia Army Reservists
Strength
25 insurgents[5] Army of the Republic of Macedonia Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 killed[6][7] Army of the Republic of Macedonia 8 killed[8]
Army of the Republic of Macedonia 8 wounded[9]

10 ethnic Albanian civilians killed in later police action

150 ethnic Albanians injured[10]

The Ljuboten incident, also referred to as the Ljubotenski Bacila massacre,[11] happened on 10 August, 2001, when an Macedonian Army truck convoy composed of reservists ran over a landmine near the village of Ljuboten, killing eight men.[12] Immediately after the attack fighting between Albanian rebels and Macedonian forces erupted.[13][14] The Macedonian government officially blamed the NLA for the attack.[15] 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.[16]

Ljuboten massacre
LocationLjuboten, Macedonia
Date12 August 2001
TargetAlbanian civilians
Attack type
Massacre
Deaths10 killed
PerpetratorsMacedonian Police led by Johan Tarčulovski[17]
MotiveRevenge

Aftermath

Two days after the attack, Macedonian forces surrounded Ljuboten and killed ten Albanian civilians.[15] The Macedonian Army surrounded Ljuboten and shelled the village with helicopters and heavy artillery, during the shelling 2 Albanian civilians, one elderly man and a 6-year-old girl were killed.[18] Following the shelling Macedonian reservists entered the village and started to carry out the killing of six individuals, shooting them either in the head or the back, including a 6-year-old boy.[18][19][20] Later one man was stabbed to death in the presence of his paralyzed father.[18] The remains of a 35-year-old man were also found near the village, by his relatives, 6 days after the incident.[18] On 12th June 2001, a small faction of NLA fighters led by Muzafer Agushi deserted from the NLA to return to Ljuboten. Their primary objective was to rescue wounded civilians in the village amid the ongoing massacre. Muzafer Agushi lost his life on that very day.[21]

After a investigation by the Human Rights Watch, it was concluded that no NLA members were present in the village during the incident.[18][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Luboteni 2001 - Asani, Skender (Skender Asani)". www.botimpex.com. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  2. ↑ "Dëshmorët" (PDF).
  3. ↑ https://pashtriku.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/deshmoret-e-UCK-monografi.pdf
  4. ↑ https://www.icty.org/en/press/judgement-summary-ljube-bo%C5%A1koski-and-johan-tar%C4%8Dulovski
  5. ↑ admin (2020-08-10). "НА ДЕНЕШЕН ДЕН: Во 2001-ва од пoдметнати миHи кај Љуботенски бачила 3aгинаа осум бранители на Македонија". arhiva.iNFOMAX.mk. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  6. ↑ "Luboteni 2001 - Asani, Skender (Skender Asani)". www.botimpex.com. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  7. ↑ "Dëshmorët" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "Macedonia marks 21 years since the Ljubotenski Bacila ambush". Republika. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Macedonia marks 21 years since the Ljubotenski Bacila ambush". Republika. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  10. ↑ https://reliefweb.int/report/former-yugoslav-republic-macedonia/fyr-macedonia-crimes-ljuboten
  11. ↑ "Macedonia marks 21 years since the Ljubotenski Bacila ambush". Republika. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Soldiers killed in Macedonia blast". CNN world. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  13. ↑ "CNN.com - Soldiers killed in Macedonia blast - August 10, 2001". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  14. ↑ KRZAK, Andrzej (2014). "ASYMMETRY OF THE ALBANIAN-MACEDONIAN MILITARY CONFLICT IN 2001: MILITARY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIGHT IN THE REGIONS OF TETOVO, KUMANOVO, ARAČINOVO AND VAKSINCE". Politeja (30): 295–316. doi:10.12797/Politeja.11.2014.30.23. ISSN 1733-6716. JSTOR 24919730. the area of Luboten (Ljuboten) village on the way to Lubca (Ljubca) there was a terrorist attack on a military convoy, when eight Macedonian soldiers were killed
  15. 1 2 3 Fisher, Ian (2001-09-05). "Report Says Macedonians Killed Civilians in Revenge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  16. ↑ "Ali Ahmeti: "NLA Supports the Peace Agreement" Posted August 11, 2001". Alb net. National Albanian American Council. Archived from the original on 2016-10-17. Retrieved 3 July 2022. The NLA has signed an agreement with NATO, where both parties have no right of movement, that is why today I am expressing my regret that the Government troops have entered the mountain road and have stepped on mines which we have not confirmed whether they have been planted by our soldiers or by government forces themselves, so that they could prevent the movement of the NLA in those areas. So again, I express regret for this accident.
  17. ↑ "Дали Охридскиот договор спречи граѓанска војна?". Civil Media (in Macedonian). 13 August 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "fYR of Macedonia: The crimes of Ljuboten - the Republic of North Macedonia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2001-08-31. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  19. ↑ "18 vjet nga masakra e Lubotenit". Gazeta Online INSAJDERI. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  20. ↑ "Luboteni 2001 - Asani, Skender (Skender Asani)". www.botimpex.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  21. ↑ "Luboteni 2001 - Asani, Skender (Skender Asani)". www.botimpex.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.


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