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| |date= 30 June 1998 | |date= 30 June 1998 | ||
| |place= Belaćevac, near ] | |place= Belaćevac, near ] | ||
| |result= |
|result= Serb victory<ref>{{cite web| publisher=New York Times| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/02/world/serbian-forces-retake-mine-held-by-rebels.html| author= |title=Serbian Forces Retake Mine Held by Rebels| date= 2 July 1998 |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> | ||
| |combatant1=] ] | |combatant1=] ] | ||
| |combatant2= {{flagicon| |
|combatant2= {{flagicon|Serbia}} Serb government forces | ||
| |commander1=] ] | |commander1=] ] | ||
| |commander2= {{flagicon| |
|commander2= {{flagicon|Serbia}} Svetozar Marjanović | ||
| |strength1= Unknown | |strength1= Unknown | ||
| |strength2= Unknown | |strength2= Unknown | ||
| |casualties1= ] 43 killed{{citation needed|date=November 2010}} | |casualties1= ] 43 killed{{citation needed|date=November 2010}} | ||
| |casualties2= {{flagicon| |
|casualties2= {{flagicon|Serbia}} 23 killed{{citation needed|date=November 2010}} | ||
| |casualties3= 9 Serbian mineworkers executed<ref>Walker, Tom. '']'', "Guerrillas in Kosovo 'killed mine hostages', July 2, 1998</ref> by the ]</br> 4 Albanian civilians killed<ref>{{cite web| publisher=New York Times| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/01/world/fierce-fighting-as-serbs-try-to-push-rebels-from-kosovo-town.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm| author= | title=Fierce Fighting as Serbs Try to Push Rebels From Kosovo Town| date=1 July 1998 |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref>, including one 8-year-old boy<ref>{{cite web| publisher=BBC| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/122425.stm| author= |title=New Serb offensive in Kosovo| date=30 June 1999 |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> | |casualties3= 9 Serbian mineworkers executed<ref>Walker, Tom. '']'', "Guerrillas in Kosovo 'killed mine hostages', July 2, 1998</ref> by the ]</br> 4 Albanian civilians killed<ref>{{cite web| publisher=New York Times| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/01/world/fierce-fighting-as-serbs-try-to-push-rebels-from-kosovo-town.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm| author= | title=Fierce Fighting as Serbs Try to Push Rebels From Kosovo Town| date=1 July 1998 |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref>, including one 8-year-old boy<ref>{{cite web| publisher=BBC| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/122425.stm| author= |title=New Serb offensive in Kosovo| date=30 June 1999 |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| The '''Battle of Belaćevac Mine''' ({{lang-sr|Сукоб код рудника Белаћевац}}; {{lang-al|Beteja e Bardhit të Madh}}) was a 1998 battle that was fought during the ] between the ] (UÇK) and the |
The '''Battle of Belaćevac Mine''' ({{lang-sr|Сукоб код рудника Белаћевац}}; {{lang-al|Beteja e Bardhit të Madh}}) was a 1998 battle that was fought during the ] between the ] (UÇK) and the Serb government forces over the control of a ] which powered the nearby ] which supplied electricity to most of the province of Kosovo.<ref name="indy"/> | ||
| ==KLA capture== | ==KLA capture== | ||
| On 22 June, |
On 22 June, the ] seized the mine from the Serbs, capturing nine mineworkers: Dušan Ađančić, Pero Ađančić, Zoran Ađančić, Mirko Buha, Filip Gojković, Božidar Lempić, Srboljub Savić, Mirko Trifunović and Dragan Vukmirović.<ref name="hrw"/> While one worker, Nebojša Janković, claimed the prisoners had been executed, there was no independent verification.<ref>Walker, Tom. '']'', "Guerrillas in Kosovo 'killed mine hostages', July 2, 1998</ref> | ||
| Among the insurgents were Mensur Kasumi, who was later appointed the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs within Kosovo,<ref name="list"/> Arif "Mujo" Krasniqi, who was involved in the capture of Jarko Spasić on 14 May.<ref name="list">Serbianna, </ref> and Azem Koskoviku, who commanded a group of heavily armed UÇK militants. | Among the insurgents were Mensur Kasumi, who was later appointed the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs within Kosovo,<ref name="list"/> Arif "Mujo" Krasniqi, who was involved in the capture of Jarko Spasić on 14 May.<ref name="list">Serbianna, </ref> and Azem Koskoviku, who commanded a group of heavily armed UÇK militants. | ||
| The ] then proceeded to use the mine as a staging area for its operations,<ref name="hrw">], "Humanitarian Law Violations in Kosovo",1998. p. 81.</ref> and taunted the |
The ] then proceeded to use the mine as a staging area for its operations,<ref name="hrw">], "Humanitarian Law Violations in Kosovo",1998. p. 81.</ref> and taunted the Serbs by sending daylight patrols within sight of the nearby villages.<ref name="indy"/> | ||
| ==Recapture== | |||
| ==Yugoslav re-capture== | |||
| On the morning of 30 June, |
On the morning of 30 June, Serb forces launched an offensive into the area of Kosovo where the mines were located, and while some militants withdrew, those remaining in the mining buildings opened fire on the local police at around 14:00 in the afternoon.<ref>Hellenic Resources Network, , June 30, 1998</ref> | ||
| Serb interior ministry forces, with the help of more than 150 military vehicles including helicopters, tanks and artillery,<ref name="indy">] , June 30, 1998</ref> regained control of the Belaćevac Mine, as most of the Albanian militants had fled after encountering heavy tank-fire.<ref>], , June 30, 1998</ref> | |||
| The region was largely abandoned by both Albanian and Serbian civilians following the re-capture of the mines.<ref>], , July 1, 1998</ref> | The region was largely abandoned by both Albanian and Serbian civilians following the re-capture of the mines.<ref>], , July 1, 1998</ref> | ||
| ==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
| In June 1999, after the Kumanovo Agreement was signed, |
In June 1999, after the Kumanovo Agreement was signed, Serb forces withdrew from the mine, leading to its immediate re-capture by the Albanians.<ref>Hughes, Candice. ], "KLA captures Mine, Hostages near Pristina", June 13, 1998</ref> | ||
| Eleven years after the battle, the ''Association of the Families of Kidnapped and Missing Miners of Belaćevac'' set up a demonstration in the region demanding answers about the fate of the workers captured in the UÇK's initial capture of the mine.<ref>Radio Srbija, , June 22, 2009</ref> | Eleven years after the battle, the ''Association of the Families of Kidnapped and Missing Miners of Belaćevac'' set up a demonstration in the region demanding answers about the fate of the workers captured in the UÇK's initial capture of the mine.<ref>Radio Srbija, , June 22, 2009</ref> | ||
Revision as of 02:13, 20 November 2012
| Battle of Belaćevac Mine | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Kosovo War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kosovo Liberation Army |
 Serb government forces | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Bekim Berisha |
Svetozar Marjanović | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
43 killed |
23 killed | ||||||
|
9 Serbian mineworkers executed by the UÇK 4 Albanian civilians killed, including one 8-year-old boy | |||||||
The Battle of Belaćevac Mine (Template:Lang-sr; Template:Lang-al) was a 1998 battle that was fought during the Kosovo War between the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK) and the Serb government forces over the control of a coal mine which powered the nearby generating station which supplied electricity to most of the province of Kosovo.
KLA capture
On 22 June, the Kosovo Liberation Army seized the mine from the Serbs, capturing nine mineworkers: Dušan Ađančić, Pero Ađančić, Zoran Ađančić, Mirko Buha, Filip Gojković, Božidar Lempić, Srboljub Savić, Mirko Trifunović and Dragan Vukmirović. While one worker, Nebojša Janković, claimed the prisoners had been executed, there was no independent verification.
Among the insurgents were Mensur Kasumi, who was later appointed the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs within Kosovo, Arif "Mujo" Krasniqi, who was involved in the capture of Jarko Spasić on 14 May. and Azem Koskoviku, who commanded a group of heavily armed UÇK militants.
The Kosovo Liberation Army then proceeded to use the mine as a staging area for its operations, and taunted the Serbs by sending daylight patrols within sight of the nearby villages.
Recapture
On the morning of 30 June, Serb forces launched an offensive into the area of Kosovo where the mines were located, and while some militants withdrew, those remaining in the mining buildings opened fire on the local police at around 14:00 in the afternoon.
Serb interior ministry forces, with the help of more than 150 military vehicles including helicopters, tanks and artillery, regained control of the Belaćevac Mine, as most of the Albanian militants had fled after encountering heavy tank-fire.
The region was largely abandoned by both Albanian and Serbian civilians following the re-capture of the mines.
Aftermath
In June 1999, after the Kumanovo Agreement was signed, Serb forces withdrew from the mine, leading to its immediate re-capture by the Albanians.
Eleven years after the battle, the Association of the Families of Kidnapped and Missing Miners of Belaćevac set up a demonstration in the region demanding answers about the fate of the workers captured in the UÇK's initial capture of the mine.
References
- "Serbian Forces Retake Mine Held by Rebels". New York Times. 2 July 1998. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- Walker, Tom. The Times, "Guerrillas in Kosovo 'killed mine hostages', July 2, 1998
- "Fierce Fighting as Serbs Try to Push Rebels From Kosovo Town". New York Times. 1 July 1998. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- "New Serb offensive in Kosovo". BBC. 30 June 1999. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ The Independent New offensive dashes ceasefire hope, June 30, 1998
- ^ Human Rights Watch, "Humanitarian Law Violations in Kosovo",1998. p. 81.
- Walker, Tom. The Times, "Guerrillas in Kosovo 'killed mine hostages', July 2, 1998
- ^ Serbianna, Kosovo's 156 Lawless
- Hellenic Resources Network, Yugoslav Daily Survey, June 30, 1998
- Radio Free Europe, Serbia claims success in Belacevac offensive, June 30, 1998
- National Public Radio, All Things Considered: Kosovo, July 1, 1998
- Hughes, Candice. Associated Press, "KLA captures Mine, Hostages near Pristina", June 13, 1998
- Radio Srbija, A gathering in Gracanica in memory of Serbs kidnapped in Kosmet 11 years ago, June 22, 2009
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