| Battle of Raduša | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the2001 insurgency in Macedonia | |||||||
 Ruins of a train station destroyed after the battle in Raduša | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Macedonia |  National Liberation Army | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Boris Trajkovski Vlado BučkovskiPande Petrovski Ljube BoškoskiStrašo Gligorov Risto GalevskiAco Stojanovski | Rafiz AlitiEmrush Suma | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| 115th Brigade | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 70 policemen and border patrol officers (August)[2] 1T-55 tank (Start of battle) Mi-24 gunship 1Su-25 | 200 militants (August)[3][4] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown 1 T-55 tank lost[5] 2 APCs lost[5] | Unknown | ||||||
| 5 Macedonian workers kidnapped and tortured by NLA[6] | |||||||
Thebattle of Raduša was part of the wider inter-ethnic conflict known as theinsurgency in the Republic of Macedonia between the AlbanianNLA and Macedonian security forces concentrated near the border with Kosovo. The brunt of the fighting happened near the village ofRaduša andBojane villages that guard the roads to theRašče water supply which supplies water to the capital city ofSkopje.[7]
The first clash took place on 20 June 2001, when four policemen from the Raduša police station discovered an NLA camp of forty insurgents on the steps of Žeden mountain, during a patrol of the terrain on the border, after which they had opened fire on the militants.[8] The patrol called on air support which came immediately and pushed the insurgents towards Kosovo.[8]
On 23 June, one of the most dramatic single events in the conflict occurred when another police border patrol was attacked in an NLA ambush near Raduša.[9] The police patrol was led by Aco Stojanovski, the Deputy-Commander of the Raduša police station.[10] The insurgents fired at the police vehicle with RPG rockets, throwing three policemen out of the car and leaving one inside.[11] The NLA attempted to approach the badly wounded policemen. Commander Stojanovski's firing six rounds from an AK-47 at the insurgents saved them until soldiers from the Raduša border post arrived and repelled the NLA with fire from an armored personnel carrier.[11] After the conflict, commander Stojanovski became the president of the Union of Army and Police veterans of the Conflict in Macedonia.[12] After this ambush there were calls to seriously strengthen the defenses around Raduša in order to prevent the NLA from capturing the water supply near the village of Rasce which would have stopped the water supply to the capital city of Skopje.[13] Following the clashes on 23 June, 1,400 civilians from the area fled to Kosovo.[14]
In July, the NLA descended from the mountains into the predominantly Albanian city of Tetovo and pushed into the Polog Valley. Several Albanian villages joined their cause, and NLA fighters advanced to the Zeden ridge between Tetovo and Skopje, eventually also attacking the border town of Raduša.[15] These offensives left government forces cut off in Tetovo, along with several small garrisons around the town and in Vratnica, which could only be resupplied by helicopter.[15] Throughout late June and early July, the NLA made repeated attempts to capture the village.[16] On 2 July, two Macedonian Mi-24 helicopter gunships were sent toward Raduša, in order to attack the NLA which by that time had already seized most of the village, The NLA reportedly also seriously wounded two Macedonian soldiers in the village during the fighting.[17][18] On 3 July, the NLA continued its assaults by targeting Macedonian police checkpoints near the village with mortar fire.[19] One day later, on 4 July, the NLA reportedly killed a Macedonian soldier in the area following an assault on Macedonian positions using mortars, sniper fire, and automatic weapons.[20] Army spokesman Colonel Blagoja Markovski described Raduša as an NLA stronghold, while Macedonian attack helicopters continued to strike NLA positions.[20] On 5 July, the NLA further advanced into the village and launched an assault on the local police station.[16] However, the fighting quelled down after a ceasefire on 5 July.[21]
In the early hours of 10 August 2001, the NLA, then numbering around 10 men,[22] launched an offensive from the area of Krivenik in the Kosovo Municipality ofHani i Elezit, invading the territory ofMacedonia in the region of Raduša. The offensive took place during the ceasefire period, only days before the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. The first actions began at 20:00 the same day with a mortar attack on the Raduša police station, located at the entrance of the village. The police station was manned by only thirty-five policemen. The security forces returned fire and the shootout lasted until 2:00 A.M. During the offensive, Macedonian forces deployed Sukhoi Su-25 jets, which intercepted NLA rebels, leading to their repulsion.[23][1] During the attack one police officer was injured.[24] According toMacedonian intelligence service, the attack was conducted by more than six hundred NLA insurgents, supported by volunteers from theKosovo Protection Corps.[1] It claimed that the Corps came from the town of Krivenik in Kosovo and crossed the Macedonian border into Raduša during the night. According to them, the NLA and KPC plan of action was to neutralise the security forces in the Raduša sector, then penetrate southwards and capture the Rašče water spring which feeds the Macedonian capital Skopje with drinking water. Cutting water supplies would create a humanitarian crisis in the city.[25]
The Ministry of Interior single-handedly declared an alert condition and sent detachments of the "Tiger" special police unit to dig in and secure the Rašče spring. Other detachments of the "Tiger" were sent to rescue thirty-five policemen surrounded at the Raduša station. Because of the lack of artillery support, and the overwhelming numbers of the NLA encirclement, they dug–in at positions outside Raduša.[26] The Minister of Interior Ljube Boškoski and Prime Minister Ljubčo Georgievski asked President Trajkovski for an immediate activation of the army in order to neutralise the alleged invasion from Kosovo. The president, however, encouraged by the NATO and EU envoys, was concentrated on reaching a political solution that respected the conditions of the 5 July Ceasefire Agreement. He asked that the police not respond to provocations in order to avoid an escalation of the conflict. Meanwhile, the encircled policemen in the Raduša station were left on their own.[26][25]
On 11 August, the NLA launched another large-scale attack on Raduša, achieving significant successes against Macedonian forces.[27][28] A column of two hundred Albanian insurgents attacked the Raduša army border post with mortar, automatic rifle and sniper fire. The Raduša army border post, located between the villages of Kučkovo and Raduša, was manned by twenty-five soldiers with mortars, automatic rifles, one tank, and three armoured personnel carriers.[1] During the attack, two Macedonian soldiers were wounded by the NLA assault.[29] At the same time, the NLA conducted another assault attack on the encircled police station at the Raduša village.[1] The army and police returned fire and, during the heavy fighting, the NLA managed to set fire to the petrol barrels within the barracks of the army border post.[28] The insurgents managed to come so close that they started cutting the wire-fence.[30] During the NLA assault, Macedonian forces once again heavily relied on their Sukhoi Su-25 jets and long-range rocket attacks. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful, as the Macedonian forces were forced to withdraw.[27][28] On 13 August, the encircled Macedonian policemen had to be rescued by Mi-24 gunships, which were ultimately successful in relieving the officers.[27][31] Five policemen had been wounded during the fighting.[32]
On 13 August, Macedonian forces launched a major offensive against the NLA in Raduša, utilizing all available military resources to expel the rebels from the village.[33][27] The operation involved 700 infantrymen, supported by T-55 tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and air support, including Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets and Mi-24 attack helicopters.[27] However, the offensive ended in failure,[27][34][33] with Macedonian forces being forced to abandon one T-55 tank, as well as two armored personnel carriers, a TM 170 and a BTR, which were captured by the NLA and subsequently used against Macedonian forces.[34] The Macedonian Defense Ministry claimed that they had sent Mi-24 attack helicopters to destroy the captured T-55 tank, but this was proven to be false. The tank was fully functional when the NLA handed it over to NATO forces duringOperation Essential Harvest.[35] Following the withdrawal, the NLA fully captured the village and advanced to within 10 km of the capital,Skopje.[36] After the NLA took control of the village, Rafiz Aliti, also known as Commander Mesuesi, stated that he aimed to establish new terms with the Macedonians and insisted that he and his fighters would not surrender their weapons to NATO forces. This occurred just before theOhrid Agreement was signed.[37]
After the signing of the ceasefire Raduša was chosen as one of the designated collection sites for the voluntary disposal of NLA weapons where the 115th Brigade which took part in the battle disposed of its weapons and captured vehicles after the Macedonian security forces previously withdrew from the collection sites as was agreed with NATO, the NLA did not honor its commitment to withdraw to lines held before the 5 July ceasefire.[38][39][40]
According to Rafiz Aliti, the main commander of the NLA during the battle, the NLA suffered no fatalities throughout the entire battle.[41][42] Aliti reported that his forces only had seven soldiers injured, with one soldier losing a hand.[41] The Macedonian Defense Ministry claimed that they had killed more than 650 NLA rebels while suffering no casualties.[43] This claim was propaganda.[43]
The fighting around Ljuboten followed clashes in the past 24 hours in the largely ethnic Albanian city of Tetovo and the northern village of Radusa, which is vital to retaining control of a reservoir that supplies Skopje./The government also closed off the main Skopje-Tetovo road this morning for hours after reports that insurgents had advanced toward another village, Bojane
Состојбата во реонот на планината Жеден е многу сериозна, таа бара безбедносните сили веднаш да реагираат, за да не бидеме изненадени ако утре, поради негрижа, главниот град остане без вода за пиење. На теренот околу Жеден му се потребни чистење од терористи и будно деноноќно чување. Поголеми докази од оние од пред пет дена, кога од заседа беше нападната полициска патрола и тешко беа ранети пет припадници на македонските сили за безбедност - не се потребни The situation in the Zheden mountain region is very serious, it requires the security forces to react immediately, so that we will not be surprised if tomorrow, due to carelessness, the capital is left without drinking water. The terrain around Zheden needs to be cleared of terrorists and guarded around the clock. Greater evidence than that of five days ago, when a police patrol was ambushed and five members of the Macedonian security forces were seriously wounded - they are not needed">
In July the NLA swept down from the mountains into the predominantly Albanian city of Tetovo and into the valley to the east. A string of Albanian villages rallied to the cause and NLA fighters moved on to the Zeden feature between Tetovo and Skopje, capturing the border town of Raduse. These offensives left government forces isolated in Tetovo and a number of small garrisons around the town and at Vratnica, which could only be re-supplied by helicopter.
Though fighting was reported in several towns in the northeast, much of the violence appeared to be centered in Radusa, about 25 miles northwest of Skopje, the capital. For several days rebels appear to have been trying to capture the village, and today they attacked a police checkpoint.
Two Macedonian soldiers were seriously wounded near the village of Radusa. Albanian extremists resumed with strong attacks on Macedonian forces throughout the night.
At noon on Tuesday, a police checkpoint in the village of Radusa, 15 miles west of the capital, Skopje, was attacked with rebel mortar fire, police said.
A soldier was killed on Tuesday when ethnic Albanian rebels ambushed a patrol near the capital Skopje, bringing the number of soldiers killed in the insurgency to 34, an army spokesman told the Associated Press. Army spokesman Colonel Blagoja Markovski said the most serious fighting was around the village of Radusa, 15 miles west of the capital, where the army pounded rebel positions with helicopters. "The rebels have a stronghold there and opened mortar, sniper and gunfire on the Macedonian positions," Markovski said.
We met Mesusi in Tetovo. "You want to know how many of our soldiers were killed during the attacks?" he asked. "You won't believe me when I tell you, none. Seven men were wounded, and one lost a hand. All of the combatants were my former students. When we started to form the detachment there were just 10 of them were involved. After a month, the number grew to over 400."
It was one of the first times Macedonia's newly acquired Sukhoi Su-25 jets had dropped bombs, a diplomat told Reuters, in what he called a "serious escalation" of the conflict. But a defence ministry source denied the jets had dropped bombs, saying they were merely flying over the area. Another diplomat said the planes appeared to have struck again on Friday morning, bombing the rebel stronghold of Radusa on Macedonia's northern border with Yugoslavia.
The sweep at Ljuboten coincided with heavy fighting on 11 August in the town of Raduša, where the rebels scored successes against security forces. Despite long-range rocket attacks and bombing by government Su-25 Frogfoot groundattack warplanes, Boskovski acknowledged that police were forced to withdraw from the town after the insurgents set ablaze a police station and an adjacent watchtower. Raduša saw the largest-scale use made of the ground-attack aircraft during the conflict. Macedonia had purchased them from the Ukraine– the four Sukhoi-25s (three Su-25 and one Su-25UB) flew from Odessa in Ukraine via Romania and Yugoslavia on 24 June before arriving at Petrovac. The first Su-25 took off from Petrovac the same day for a reconnaissance flight over Aracinovo in the midst of heavy fighting there. The Su-25s were used for combat purposes at Raduša, 'this saving the lives of besieged policemen who were defending the village'. Igor Bozinovski, a journalist who follows Macedonian aviation, said that the Macedonian Air Force warplanes 'attacked Albanian terrorists in coordination with Mi-24V gunship helicopters using the proven tactics developed during the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.
In the town of Radusha, the rebels scored major successes against government security forces Saturday. Despite long-range rocket attacks and bombing by government warplanes, Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski said Sunday that police were forced to withdraw from the town after the police station and an adjacent watchtower were set ablaze by the rebels.
Two soldiers were wounded today in fighting near Radusha, a village in the north, the government reported.
Today the government reported that the insurgents continued to attack army positions in the northern village of Radusha in fighting that it said was aimed at control over Skopje's water reservoir. The government said that five police officers had been wounded there over the last day.
Die Auseinandersetzungen konzentrierten sich auf die Dörfer Radusa, das 17 Kilometer nordöstlich von Skopje liegt, und Ljuboten, 11 Kilometer nördlich der Hauptstadt gelegen. Nach Informationen aus westlichen Kreisen versuchte die Regierung mit allen zur Verfügung stehenden militärischen Mitteln, die UCK-Rebellen aus Radusa zu vertreiben und über die einen Kilometer nördlich des Dorfes gelegene Grenze nach Kosovo zurückzudrängen - offenbar ohne Erfolg. Die Offensive wurde mit 700 Infanteristen durchgeführt, unterstützt durch Panzer und die Luftwaffe. Sie blieb aber, so hiess es, bereits am Sonntagnachmittag stecken. Der mazedonisch bewohnte Teil von Ljuboten, einem ethnisch gemischten Dorf, wurde von der UCK mit Minenwerfern angegriffen, worauf die ansässigen Mazedonier albanische Häuser in Brand steckten. Der Vorfall zeigt exemplarisch, auf welche Weise der Bürgerkrieg allmählich ins Land getragen wird. Es steht fest, dass die UCK in den letzten zehn Tagen substanzielle Verstärkung aus Kosovo bekommen hat; Verstärkung notabene, die über die von der Kfor bewachte Grenze ins Kampfgebiet gelangte. Das Innenministerium spricht in diesem Zusammenhang von 500 Bewaffneten des Kosovo-Schutzkorps, einer von der Uno-Zivilverwaltung für Kosovo (Unmik) aufgebauten leicht bewaffneten Schutztruppe, die sich aus ehemaligen Kämpfern der Befreiungsarmee Kosovo zusammensetzt, der früheren UCK von Kosovo. Es sei ein präzedenzloser Skandal, dass von der Unmik eingestellte und bezahlte Funktionäre einen souveränen Staat angriffen, hiess es.
During the failed Macedonian police attack to relieve Radusa in early August, government forces had to abandon a T-55 tank and two armoured personnel carriers (a TM 170 and a BTR), which were captured by the NLA and pressed into service against their former owners.
"I'm proud and you too should be proud that we were the soldiers of the 115th Brigade," he told them. "You managed to defeat the Slav Macedonian army and police here in Radusha. And our success is even greater because we didn't lose a single soldier." Mesuesi's troops were indeed among the most successful rebel units to fight government security forces. Operating for months from hidden positions in the hills, the rebels finally moved in to take this strategic town, capturing the police station and army barracks. The brigade got to within 10 miles of the capital, Skopje, just before political leaders signed a peace agreement.
And just to provide you a little bit more information about the collection site that is now operational. It was established and fully operational at approximately 21:00, last night. It is located in the vicinity of Radusa.
For their part, Macedonian authorities are concerned with a requirement that their security forces withdraw from the areas around the arms collection points to create a non-hostile environment.
Shpati says the UCK has information that Macedonian security forces are withdrawing their heavy weapons from the vicinity of the weapons collection points as stipulated in the U.S.- and EU-brokered peace deal of 13 August. However, he says the UCK is not withdrawing its forces to pre-5 July lines since, "we have nowhere to go."
We met Mesusi in Tetovo. "You want to know how many of our soldiers were killed during the attacks?" he asked. "You won't believe me when I tell you, none. Seven men were wounded, and one lost a hand. All of the combatants were my former students. When we started to form the detachment there were just 10 of them were involved. After a month, the number grew to over 400."
"I'm proud and you too should be proud that we were the soldiers of the 115th Brigade," he told them. "You managed to defeat the Slav Macedonian army and police here in Radusha. And our success is even greater because we didn't lose a single soldier." Mesuesi's troops were indeed among the most successful rebel units to fight government security forces. Operating for months from hidden positions in the hills, the rebels finally moved in to take this strategic town, capturing the police station and army barracks. The brigade got to within 10 miles of the capital, Skopje, just before political leaders signed a peace agreement.
