Ljuboten incident
| Ljuboten Incident | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 † |
Ljube Boškoski Johan Tarčulovski | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| 113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari" | |||||
| Strength | |||||
| 25 militants | Unknown | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 1 militant killed |
8 reservists killed 8 reservists wounded | ||||
|
10 ethnic Albanian civilians killed in later police action 150 ethnic Albanians injured Hundreds of ethnic Albanians arrested 14 ethnic Albanian homes burned | |||||
The Ljuboten clashes (Macedonian: Љуботенските судири, Ljubotenskite sudiri Albanian: Përplasjet e Lubotenit), followed by the Ljubotenski Bacila massacre (Macedonian: Масакрот на Љуботенски Бачила, Masakrot na Ljubotenski Bačila), happened in early August 2001, when a Macedonian Army truck convoy composed of reservists ran over a landmine near the village of Ljuboten, killing eight men. Immediately after the attack fighting between Albanian rebels and Macedonian forces erupted. The Macedonian government officially blamed the NLA for the attack. 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.