Ambush near Gajre

Ethnic Albanian rebels of the National Liberation Army killed five soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia on 5 June 2001 near Gajre, a village in the Šar Mountains, North Macedonia. It represents one of the heaviest death tolls for the government forces in a single incident during the insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia.^[1][4]

Ambush near Gajre
Part of the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
Date 5 June 2001 Location Between Gajre and Šipkovica, Macedonia Result NLA victory
Belligerents
National Liberation Army	Macedonia
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Isak Rufati †
Units involved
Unknown	Macedonian army
Strength
Unknown	11 soldiers[1]
Casualties and losses
None	5 killed[2] 7 wounded[3]

Ambush

The hills above Tetovo in northwestern Macedonia were subject to fierce fighting. According to Macedonian army officials, three of the soldiers died during an ambush as they were escorting medics to help six wounded men (consisting of three police officers and three soldiers) wounded in clashes that broke out that day.^[5] Additional two soldiers were killed while making a food delivery.^[6] The ambush happened near the village of Gajre. The killed soldiers were an ethnic Albanian army sergeant, an ethnic Macedonian soldier from Strumica and three ethnic Macedonian reservists from Bitola.^[7]

Aftermath

Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubčo Georgievski called for a state of war to be declared against the rebels.^[8]

In 2010, a memorial plaque was placed along the road to Popova Šapka to honor the killed soldiers.^[9] The plaque was destroyed in 2021.^[10]

References

1. "Потсетник за загинатите бранители кај Гајре". ALFA TV (in Macedonian). 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
2. https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/07/macedonia.riot/
3. "Macedonian troops attack rebels".
4. "Убиени уште петмина војници на АРМ". VEST (in Macedonian). 7 June 2001. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
5. "Five soldiers die in Macedonia clashes". BBC News. 6 June 2001. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
6. "Killing of 5 soldiers prompts demands for declaration of war in Macedonia". The Irish Times. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
7. "Macedonia: Five Soldiers Killed As Violence Escalates". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 June 2001. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
8. "Macedonia vows to declare a state of war on rebels". The Independent. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
9. "Поставена плоча за петтемина загинати бранители кај Гајре". Dnevnik (in Macedonian). 6 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
10. "Уште едно уништување на спомен-плоча на бранителите, овојпат кај Гајре". Sitel (in Macedonian). 19 June 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2023.