In March 1999, Nato launched a military campaign against Serbian forces in Kosovo after the failure of diplomatic efforts to end fighting and stem a huge outflow of refugees from the province.
Beginning with bombing and missile attacks launched from Nato aircraft and ships against Serb targets, the campaign lasted from March 24 to June 10. Amid preparations for a large-scale Nato ground offensive against Serb forces in Kosovo, on June 3, Slobodan Milosevic, president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, agreed to a mediated withdrawal of Yugoslav troops from Kosovo and to the deployment of a UN-sanctioned Nato force. On June 10, Nato suspended its air operations and two days later a Nato-led peacekeeping mission known as Kosovo Force (KFOR) began its deployment.
