Eight members of the security forces lost their lives in a anti-terrorist action that occurred on this day of last year in the Kumanovo settlement od Diva Naselba. Twenty-nine persons were arrested in the action, which are currently detained and tried for committing terrorist acts.
The Shooting Started Early on May 9
Kumanovo citizens were woken up by gun shots, detonations and helicopters early in the morning at about 04:00 am on May 9. Nobody knew what was going on. The Interior Ministry issued a brief report that the police had started an action against an unidentified armed group in Diva Naselba and that it would later report the details of the action. Police presence in Kumanovo was boosted, while the citizens remained in their homes in panic and fear.
The shootouts lasted all day, and around 10 policemen were wounded. The information about policemen being wounded was published early in the morning, and during the day there were announcements that there were police force victims.
The population massively evacuated, and the city resembled a war zone. The police were transferring people to safety, and the sight was terrifying- there were crying children, old fragile people and scared women and children...
During the Day, the Interior Ministry Informed about What Is Going On in Diva Naselba
"The Ministry's departments in charge managed to locate an armed group in Kumanovo's settlement of Diva Naselba, i.e. in several houses in the settlement. Intelligence data pointed to the fact that the group is massively armed and well trained. Since five o'clock today the special forces have started with the realization of the plan", Kotevski said then.
But, as Kotevski informed, the police forces faced fierce resistance by the terrorists which attacked them with automatic weapons, bombs and snipers.
In the evening, the Interior Minister of the time, Gordana Jankulovska, announced at a press conference that the police forces managed to eliminate the last group, but that a few policemen had been wounded in the action. In the police action, part of the last armed group members were eliminated, and around 30 turned themselves in.
The police units fought tactically against the well organized group. The policemen worked in stages and freed one house at a time. Furthermore, the people in the area were evacuated by police vehicles. The special tactical unit and the special operations unit 'Tigar', also took part in the action.
The action claimed the lives of 14 terrorists, and most of the others were arrested
After the police action finished, the Interior Ministry reported that the group was in fact one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the region, which had been involved in numerous attacks and its members had been internationally wanted for committing serious criminal acts.
Eight Macedonian Heroes Lost Their Lives
The shootouts which lasted 28 hours had a tragic outcome because 8 policemen died and 37 were injured in the action.
The tragic events of May 8-9 claimed the lives of 8 policemen and they are: Zarko Kuzmanovski from Brvenica (32), Saso Samoilovski from Brvenica (32), Nenad Serafimovski from Zubovce village (27), Isamedin Osmani from Studenicani (32), Boban Ivanovic from Stojkovci (47), Goran Ilievski from Gostivar (41), Ljubisa Arangelovik from Skopje (49), and Goran Stamenovic from Miladinovci (45). Another 37 of their colleagues were seriously wounded.
The Government decided to financially aid the families of the police forces in the amount of EUR 70,000 per family. Financial aid will be also allocated to those that were wounded in the action.
Diva Naselba Totally Destroyed
The aftermath of the action was horrific, cars were burnt down, walls were torn down, wooden boards were scattered around, etc.
A number of citizens from 'Pero Ilievski' street could not go back to their homes. Some of them went to stay with relatives, others rented houses. In the days that followed the action, humanitarian help was collected, i.e. water, food, and hygiene kits for the families whose houses were not so badly damaged and where it was possible to still reside.
After a month the streets 'Pero Ilievski' and 'Rusit Sakir' were totally destroyed and the citizens whose homes were most damaged received financial help.
On February 9, the trial against 29 terrorists started
After a several month investigation, the Public Prosecutor's Office for prosecuting organized crime and corruption filed charges against 29 persons from Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo in November of last year.
The defendants are charged with Criminal affiliation and terrorism
The public prosecutor Naum Panovski stated that the attack on the watch tower Gosince on April 21, 2015, prompted a thorough investigation and searches in relation to people who were suspected of partaking in the attack.
"On May 9, members of the tactical unit team were acting in accordance with a search warrant in relation to terrorism regarding the Gosince watch tower. A hand grenade was thrown at the Special Unit Team while they were getting close to the object, and part of the policemen were injured. Then the armed group started shooting with automatic weapons and snipers, the shootouts lasted throughout the night and the next day. The next day, the group was taken in, 18 members wore Kosovo Liberation Army uniforms", the prosecution said.
All 29 of the defendants said that they do not feel guilty.
More than 10 hearing were held, at which several witnesses were questioned. Most of the witnesses are from Diva Naselba, or they are relatives of the defendants. The last few hearings have been closed to the public because protected witness are supposed to testify.
An 8 member group arrested for helping the terrorists
Eight persons were arrested under the 'Thunderbolt' case for acting as logistical support of the Kumanovo group charged for the attack on the police station in Gosince and the attack in the Kumanovo settlement of Diva Naselba.
The suspects had concrete tasks such as providing support to the Kumanovo group, and providing an illegal passage so that the Kosovo members of the group can enter the country, finding accommodation for the group in objects and houses in Kosovo and Macedonia, gathering information about the movement of Macedonian police units and observing specific locations and objects.
The trial against them still has not started yet, but at the assessment of the indictment in April, all of them pleaded not guilty.