"Operation Allied Force" was a NATO-led military campaign conducted from March to June 1999. Its primary objective was to stop the humanitarian crisis and ethnic cleansing occurring in Kosovo during the Yugoslav Wars. The operation involved extensive airstrikes against Yugoslav military targets to compel the government to withdraw its forces from Kosovo. The campaign was initiated after diplomatic efforts failed to resolve the conflict peacefully. It marked the first time NATO engaged in military action without the approval of the United Nations. Ultimately, the operation succeeded in leading to the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops and the establishment of a UN-administered peacekeeping force in Kosovo.