The 1998-1999 war was fought between the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war, and the Kosovo Albanian separatist militia known as the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
During the conflict war, the Serbian forces failed to meet Western demands for reconciliation. In response, NATO launched a 78-day bombing campaign against Serbia, ultimately compelling the withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo.
On June 12, 1999, the Kosovo Force (KFOR)—a NATO-led international peacekeeping unit—entered Kosovo, effectively ending the armed conflict in the Balkans.
It is estimated that around 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, lost their lives under Serbian repression during the conflict, while an additional 1,600 individuals remain missing.
In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence, a move that neighboring Serbia has yet to officially accept. More than 100 countries, including the U.S. and most Western nations, have recognized Kosovo as a sovereign state.
