Tearce attack
2001 attack in Tearce
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The Tearce attack was an attack carried out by the National Liberation Army on a Macedonian police station in Tearce, North Macedonia. This attack marked the beginning of the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia.[3] As a result of the attack, one police officer was killed and three others were injured.
| Tearce attack | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of 2001 insurgency in Macedonia | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 National Liberation Army |
 Macedonia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Unknown |
 Unknown | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
112th Brigade |
Macedonian Police | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
None |
1 policeman killed[1] 3 injured[2] | ||||||
Attack
The attack took place on 22 January 2001, on a Monday at 2:00 AM in the village of Tearce, which is inhabited largely by ethnic Albanians.[4] During the attack, three or four NLA militants armed with a Chinese rocket launcher and two Kalashnikovs attacked a Macedonian police station. The militants killed the police officer Momir Stojanovski in the attack, who was killed by the rocket propelled grenade, while three other policemen were seriously injured.[5][6][7] The injuries were believed to have been sustained from the two grenades fired at the station.[8]
Aftermath
The NLA claimed responsibility for the attack. After the attack in Tearce, the village was captured and held by the NLA.[9][10] However, Macedonian police reported that the militants operated independently. Police spokesman Stevo Pendarovski reported, "These extreme radical individuals are not part of an organised group."[7]
The attack in Tearce resulted in the beginning of the insurgency.[10][11] It was designated as a terrorist attack by the Macedonian Ministry of Interior.[12] On 22 October, the Macedonian police re-entered Tearce with the assistance of OSCE and EU.[10]