The NLA succeeded in capturing the village on 5 June 2001[3][4] and the Macedonian Army was forced to withdraw from Matejče.

[10] Later that day the Macedonian Army also used Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships, artillery and tanks to target suspected guerrilla positions in Matejče.

[27] During the fighting on 30 May, a Macedonian truck ran over an NLA-planted mine, wounding three members of the tigers special police unit.

[19] On 11 June the Matejče Monastery as well as homes of ethnic Macedonian civilians were destroyed and burned by the Albanian militants.

[40] Macedonian propaganda later claimed the NLA were holding civilians as human shields, this claim was proven false when local civilians admitted they were staying in the combat zone out of fear of falling into the hands of the Macedonian police.