Albanian National Army

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from AKSH)
Not to be confused with Military of Albania.

Albanian National Army
Armata Kombëtare Shqiptare
LeadersAlban Parishi[1]
Wigan Gradica[2]
Avdil Jakupi[3]
Agim Krasniqi[4][5]
Lirim Jakupi[6]
Bekim Mehmeti †
Ramadan Shiti †
Habit Ahmeti †
Fisnik Meti †
Fatos Aliu[7]
Dates of operation2001–present
Active regionsKosovo
Polog, North Macedonia
Preševo Valley
IdeologyAlbanian nationalism
Greater Albania
Size12,000 (2007)
Allies National Liberation Army
OpponentsNorth Macedonia Macedonia
Serbia Serbia
Montenegro Montenegro
KFOR
United Nations UNMIK
Tsar Lazar Guard
Battles and wars

The Albanian National Army (ANA; Albanian: Armata Kombëtare Shqiptare, AKSh)[11] is an Albanian paramilitary organization which operates in North Macedonia, Serbia[a] and Kosovo.[b] The group opposes the Ohrid Framework Agreement which ended the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia between members of the National Liberation Army and Macedonian security forces.[12]

History[edit]

It was formed in July 2001 in Macedonia, and announced themselves on 3 August 2001.[13] The organization is associated with FBKSh (National Front for Reunification of Albanians), its political wing.

On April 26, 2002, ANA members attacked former National Liberation Army (NLA) members in the village of Mala Rečica near Tetovo.[14][15] The battle lasted four hours with around 100 militants participating.[16] According to some sources, two people were killed and 5 were injured.[17][18][19]

The ANA appeared in Kosovo in 2003, where on March 7, two members trying to detonate a bomb were shot and killed by Serbian police.[20] In 2004 and 2005 a group of 80 militants[21] led by Agim Krasniqi controlled the village of Kondovo twice. Through the media, Krasniqi threatened to shell Skopje and his men kidnapped and beat four police officers.[22] After this the ANA withdrew into Kosovo.[23][24]

In 2004, Avdil Jakupi surrendered to authorities in Kosovo,[25] were he was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for kidnapping two policemen and attempting to bomb railway lines.[26][27][28]

In 2007, a video was aired by Kosovar television stations depicting a band of medium-armed, masked individuals intercepting cars. In October 2007 the unit declared it would seize the Serb exclave of North Kosovo by force if the Kosovo Protection Force did not occupy it by November 1, 2007. The ANA has claimed that it is patrolling North Kosovo to prevent incursions by the Tsar Lazar Guard.[29]

On November 7, 2007, insurgents of the "Jakupi Group" controlled the region of the village Brodec on the Šar Mountains. The Macedonian police force later crackdown on the group, dubbed Operation Mountain Storm. The operation was carried out by a multi-ethnic[30] police force, and according to Macedonian authorities, six members of the ANA were killed.[31][32]

On November 13, 2007, a video was aired to the public,[33][34] an exclusive interview with a leader of the ANA, nicknamed "Commander Preka", patrolling in the covert areas of North Kosovo, recruiting 20 new men.[35][36] The leader stated that ANA stands at 12,000 men altogether and has called the Kosovar population for a boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections.[33][34]

"The talks will fail, there will be no success. From the year 2000 they [the government] have all lied to us, they say this meeting then the next meeting. We do not believe in them. We do not believe in our leaders, they all lie to us. Therefore we call upon all members, civilian and military, that belong to ANA, to boycott the upcoming elections."

— "Commander Preka"

In early September 2010, Lirim Jakupi, one of the members of the ANA, was arrested in Pristina, Kosovo by the Kosovo Police, along with an AK-47, hand grenades, and pistols.[37][38][39][40] In the year of 2015 the group has been removed from the list of terrorist groups.[41] Despite this, in 2016 Albanian militiamen presenting themselves as the "21st Brigade" published a video showing their weapons and threatening to move through northern Albania and the Presevo Valley. They also mentioned that they had the support of the population and that they had hundreds of men.[42]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Only in the Preševo Valley
  2. ^ During 2014, it declared that it would intervene in northern Mitrovica

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ответственность за убийство полицейских и захват заложников в Македонии взяла на себя "Албанская национальная армия"". В Мире (in Russian). NEWSru.com. November 12, 2001. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  2. ^ "Албанские экстремисты угрожают миротворцам". Хроника событий (in Russian). ТерроруНЕТ. October 5, 2003. Retrieved February 29, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Экстремистские силы албанцев на севере Македонии мобилизуют свои силы". September 2, 2003. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Ex-Guerrilla Arrested in Macedonia Vote Violence - Europe - Around the globe - World". Dalje.com. June 1, 2008. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  5. ^ "Macedonian News: Attempt at Agim Krasniqi's life reported". Vmacedonianews.com. July 17, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  6. ^ "Notorious Balkans criminal 'Nazi' Arrested in Kosovo". Balkan Insight. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  7. ^ "Macedonia Suspects Jailed for 192 Years". Balkan Insight. July 11, 2008.
  8. ^ a b "Macedonia - defense: Buckovski: "Let tragedy be the beginning of the end of the war"". Relief.web. August 10, 2001. Retrieved June 26, 2022. "ANA" CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR KILLING OF TEN MACEDONIAN SOLDIERS Skopje, August 10 - A new armed group of ethnic Albanians on Thursday claimed responsibility for the killing of ten Macedonian army reservists in a highway ambush a day earlier. The "Albanian National Army" (AKSH) e-mailed a statement to several media in the region, on Albanian-language, saying a combined unit of its fighters and of the so-called National Liberation Army (NLA) carried the attack out "in revenge" for the killing of five NLA members by Macedonian security forces.
  9. ^ "Rebels kill three policemen in Macedonia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2022. In a statement yesterday, a dissident ethnic Albanian group calling itself the Albanian National Army claimed responsibility for the killings, saying: "The Skopje government is restarting its terror and sees war as the only response to Albanian demands."
  10. ^ ""Albanische Nationalarmee" bekennt sich zu Anschlag im südserbischen Presevo-Tal – DW – 13.08.2003".
  11. ^ "Новая албанская банда ответит за 10 убитых македонцев" [The new Albanian gang will be responsible for the 10 killed Macedonians]. RBK Group. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  12. ^ "Albanian National Army (ANA)(AKSh)". Terrorism Research. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  13. ^ "Lenta.ru: БАЛКАНЫ: Разоружившиеся албанские боевики сменили вывеску и снова взялись за оружие". April 18, 2005. Archived from the original on April 18, 2005. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  14. ^ "World Briefing | Europe: Macedonia: Albanians In Gun Battle". The New York Times. March 26, 2002. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  15. ^ "MACEDONIA: Shootout in Tetovo, some of the victims identified - Shqiptarja". shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  16. ^ "A shootout disrupts Macedonia's calm - the Republic of North Macedonia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. April 5, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "CNN.com - New gun battle in Macedonia - April 4, 2002". www.cnn.com. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Naegele, Jolyon (April 9, 2008). "Macedonia: Clashes Erupt Between Albanian Factions". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  19. ^ "Spannungen unter Mazedoniens Albanern". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). March 28, 2002. ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Serbia and Montenegro: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2003 U.S. Department of State. February 25, 2004.
  21. ^ "Macedonian Opposition Parties Cry Foul Over Government's Handling of Armed Standoff". SETimes.com. September 29, 2005. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  22. ^ "Macedonian News: Attempt at Agim Krasniqi's life reported". Vmacedonianews.com. July 17, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  23. ^ "Красниќи ќе се врати во Кондово". Time.mk. Retrieved October 17, 2022. Агим Красниќи и Лирим Какупи - Нацист не се во Кондово, ниту пак во Македонија. Тие пристигнаа во Косово. Беше прифатено нивното барање да не се гонат, во замена за нивно заминување од селото Agim Krasniqi and Lirim Kakupi - Nazis are not in Kondovo, nor in Macedonia. They arrived in Kosovo. Their request not to be prosecuted was accepted, in exchange for their departure from the village
  24. ^ "Albanian Gunman's Release Sparks Fury in Macedonia". iwpr.net. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  25. ^ "Albanischer Extremist stellt sich den Behörden in Kosovo". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). February 3, 2004. ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  26. ^ "KOSOVO: KFORJU SE JE PREDAL AVDIL JAKUPI". rtvslo.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "Pas 14 viteve në burg. lirohet Avdil Jakupi (Çakalla)". fax.al. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  28. ^ "Schwere Vorwürfe gegen mazedonische Regierung: Verbindungen zur Mafia und Destabilisierungsversuche – DW – 05.09.2003". dw.com (in German). Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  29. ^ Report: ANA paramilitaries patrolling northern Kosovo towns
  30. ^ "Macedonian Special Police Eliminate Armed Albanian Group with Paramilitary, Wahhabi Ties, Seizing Massive Arsenal". Balkan Analysis. November 11, 2007. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  31. ^ Mite, Valentinas (February 2, 2012). "Firefight Kills Eight In Macedonia Near Kosovo Border". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  32. ^ "Eight Albanians dead in clash with Macedonian police". www.b92.net. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  33. ^ a b ""Albanian National Army". Terrorists. Kosovo. November 2007". YouTube. November 13, 2007.
  34. ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE NEWS FEATURE Albanian paramilitaries prepare to defend Kosovo". YouTube. July 21, 2015.
  35. ^ "ВЗГЛЯД / Албанские боевики в Косове угрожают войной". March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  36. ^ "Албанские боевики угрожают силой провозгласить независимость Косово". webcitation.org (in Russian). Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  37. ^ "Lirim Jakupi-Nacist arrested in Pristina". Idividi.
  38. ^ "Notorious Balkans criminal 'Nazi' Arrested in Kosovo". Balkan Insight. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  39. ^ "Косовская полиция арестовала албанского боевика". srpska.ru (in Russian). Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  40. ^ "Kosovo Media Highlights - UNMIK". United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. September 6, 2010.
  41. ^ "Global Terrorism Index 2015" (PDF). economicsandpeace.org.
  42. ^ "Terrorist Albanian National Army "appears" in Kosovo". B92,net. April 13, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2021.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albanian_National_Army&oldid=1218103169"