Agim Shala

Agim Avdi Shala
Nickname(s)	Albanian “Tigri i Vërrinit” English “Tiger of Vërrin”
Born	September 18, 1975 Jeshkova, AP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo)
Died	September 3, 1998 Jeshkova, AP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo)
Allegiance	Kosovo Liberation Army
Rank	Non-commissioned officer (NCO)
Unit	125th Brigade
Known for	Father and cousin fighting alongside him, fighting for his village
Battles / wars	First Battle of Vërrin Second Battle of Vërrin  †
Awards	Hero of Kosovo (posthumously)

Agim Avdi Shala (September 18, 1975 – September 3, 1998) was a Kosovo Albanian commander that fought in the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The goal of the KLA was the independence of Kosovo from FR Yugoslavia. Agim Shala was killed in action during the second Battle of Vërrin.

Early years

On September 18, 1975, in the village of Jeshkove, Prizren, Agim Shala was born. He was born into an ethnic Albanian family which belonged to the Shala tribe. Agim and his family spoke Albanian in the Gheg dialect and were Muslims. Agim finished primary school in Hoçë e Qytetit. Agim Shala started high school in Prizren, at the "Gani Çavdërbasha" Technical School and construction branch.

Yugoslav authorities began prosecuting Albanian activists, which led to the Shala family’s wealth to decline. This forced Agim to stop the lessons and take the path of Albanian nationalism.

In 1993, Agim Shala left Jeshkova. To escape the arrests, and to earn money, he settled in Rome, Italy, together with Naser Berisha.

Mobilization

When Agim Shala heard about the Attack on Prekaz, together with many activists, he reconnects with his uncle Selim and his friends from Prizren and on May 6 of 1998, he is placed in the Regional Operative Headquarters for Prizren in Jeshkovë, to help Remzi Ademaj, Xhevat Berisha, Ismajl Kryeziu, and Ekrem Rexha.

With the formation of the Special Unit for Rapid Interventions, near the Vërrin Headquarters, Agim Shala is placed in charge of the special unit “Djemte e Verrinit”, in the logistics sector. Agim is ambushed twice, but crosses the border more than 30 times without any wounds. On July 7, he fought in the attack on Billushe, and defeated the Yugoslav troops there. Again on July 16 he fought in the Battle of Tusus and Hoçë e Qytetit, where he defeated the Yugoslav troops once again. After these victories, Agim helps in logistics in breaking the border with quick navigation.

Today's epic of Vërrin began on September 1, 1998 with cannonades of grenades and volleys of all calibers on the villages of Kushnin, Lez and Jeshkovo; on the positions of the Kosovo Liberation Army and on the headquarters of the Regional Operational Headquarters for Vërrin, that is why the first week of September, while the "Sons of Dukagjin" fought for life or death at the foot of Suka e Cërmjani and throughout Dushkaja, while Smolica burned and burned along with the entire Reka e Keqe, every house in Rosishtë and Gllogjan was destroyed and set on fire, the "Symphony of Grenades" was prepared for Budakova, the total cleansing of Anadrin, the "Sons of Vërrin" stand at the foot of the valleys of Koritnik and are immortalized on the altar of Kushnina freedom Refkiu, Milaimi and Tamili, the Lezjans Xhevati, Salajdini, Bekimi, Ibrahimi, Naipi, Asim, Shahadini, Samedini, Shefqeti, Alajdini, Nehati, Asllani and Izahiri, in Jeshkovo, Serbian ethnic gangs killed and massacred Myrvete, Fatima, Kadishen, Merxhani and Ahmet , and on the third of September, Thursday, the screams stopped, but around 16:00, commander Agim Avdi Shala, who in bloody battles after dressing the wounds of fellow soldier Besim Ryshen Shala, fell with him in Avdi in the face of that september storm in Ješkova, when Nuridini continues the war, follows the path of his brothers and commands the unit until March 11, 1999.

After the Battle of Vërrin, the battles on the flanks: Gremnik, Çupevë, Valljakë, Sverkë, Rudë, Panorc, Dush, Zatriq and up to Palluzhë of Anadrin, the battles on the Cermjan front; with Kralan, Gërgoc, Rakovina, Shqiponje and up to Llugaxhi, those in Prapaçan, Beleg, Gllogjan, Strellc i Eperm, the defensive arc on the line Negroc - Kamaran - Drenas in Shkabaj, Čikatovo, Dobrashevc and up to Skenderaj, the battles in Nerodime, Koshare , Drenjak and Balaj, those in Bjeshke and Gjeravica, the battles in Ashlan and in the mountains Qyqavica and Budakovo make the golden links of

Legacy

In 2023, a statue of Agim Shala was built in front of the Prizren municipality.