The Battle of Vaksince was a military engagement between the Macedonian security forces and Albanian insurgents belonging to the NLA, which was at the time launching a campaign of guerrilla attacks against facilities of the Macedonian Government, the Macedonian Police force, and the Macedonian Armed Forces. Timeline NLA Attack and Macedonian Counter-offensive In May 2001, NLA rebels led by Fadil Nimani infiltrated Macedonia and set up bases in several villages to the north of Kumanovo. On 3 May, the NLA launched an attack on Macedonian security forces in Vaksince, near Kumanovo, killed two Macedonian soldiers and kidnapped a third. The NLA then went on to occupy the village and declared the area in and around Vakcince as "liberated zone". On the same day Macedonian Forces decided to launch an Counter-Offensive to reclaim the village seized by th NLA. Macedonian Forces began the offensive with helicopter gunships and artillery that fired on and around the village of Vaksince Macedonian Army officials claimed to have managed to destroy fourteen NLA entrenched positions, eight machine-gun bunkers, seven sniper nests, six control points, three arms storage facilities, and one mortar position during the Offensive. During the Offensive 3 Macedonian Soldiers were wounded, the NLA also claimed to have shot down one MI-24 Attack Helicopter. Army spokesman Gjordji Trendafilov told the Associated Press that the NLA was holding thousands of villagers as human shields. This was denied by the NLA, who also accused government forces of indiscriminate attacks against Albanian civilians. Second Macedonian Offensive On 24 May 2001, Macedonian security forces launched another general offensive against the NLA in Kumanovo. Fighting continued into the next day and turned into urban warfare. The police and army infantry had to fight for every house in the large villages of Vaksince and Lojane, two NLA strongholds, as the NLA resisted fiercely. A special police unit called the "Tigers", who specialised in urban counter-guerrilla fighting, was also deployed. On 26 May, NLA rebels withdrew to the Hills around Vaksince. With the withdrawal of the NLA, the Macedonian security forces moved in and recaptured Vaksince. During the clashes, Fadil Nimani, main commander of the NLA in Vaksince, fell in battle, while one Macedonian Soldier was wounded. NLA rebels said, they would attack and try to recapture the village, as soon as all civilians were evacuated from the village. NLA Counter-Offensive Although the Macedonian Army captured Vaksince on 26 may, it