NATO Enters Kosovo

Date: June 12, 1999 • Location: Washington, United States

In the aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the NATO-led Kosovo Force entered the territory with a mandate of establishing a secure environment.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an agreement was reached that led to the withdrawal of the Army of FR Yugoslavia from Kosovo, and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, a UN peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. The official NATO operation code name was Operation Allied Force whereas the United States called it Operation Noble Anvil; in Serbia, the operation was incorrectly called Merciful Angel, possibly as a result of a misunderstanding or mistranslation.