Battle of Vërrin
 |
| Battle of Vërrin | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Kosovo War | |||||||||
.svg) The District of Prizren | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kosovo Liberation Army NATO |
 FR Yugoslavia | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Ekrem Rexha Zafir Berisha Agim Shala † Wesley Clark |
Bozidar Delić | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
125th Brigade |
549.Motorized Brigade Prizren Police of Serbia | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
1998: 350 Soldiers 1999: 450 Soldiers |
4000 Soldiers (KLA claim) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
 67 Civilians killed[4] |
5 wounded[6][7] | ||||||||
The Battle of Vërrin (Albanian: Beteja e Vërrinit; Serbian: битка код Верина, romanized: Bitka kod Verina) was fought during the Kosovo War between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav Police (Milicija). The first battle of Vërrin was fought on July 16, 1998.[8] During the period from September 1 to 5, 1998, Yugoslav Milicija units conducted an operation against the KLA. As part of this action, KLA positions located near Prizren, in the villages of Lezë, Jeshkovë, Kushtendillë, Lybeçevë, and Hoçë e Qytetit were attacked. However, the primary engagement occurred in the village of Jeshkovo."[6] This was the first battle in the Prizren District during the Kosovo War.[4]
Background
[edit]On July 7, 1998, Yugoslav forces failed to liquidate a KLA unit in Billushe and Hoqa e Qytetit, and were forced to retreat.[9][10] The Yugoslav army and police pledged retaliation for the clashes, strategizing an offensive against KLA positions in what had been declared a KLA free zone.[9]
Battle of 16 July
[edit]Around 1:30 PM, the Yugoslav forces tried to enter from the Tusus neighborhood, in the direction of Leskovec, Lybeçeva, and towards the village of Hoçë e Qytetit.[1] KLA forces started attacking the Yugoslav forces.[1] The first day of confrontation between the two forces lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes.[1] On the part of the KLA soldiers, there were neither killed nor injured, while the Yugoslav forces were separated with losses.[1]
Battle of 1–7 September
[edit] |
| Battle of 1–7 September | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Kosovo War | |||||||||
The District of Prizren | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Kosovo Liberation Army |
FR Yugoslavia | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
|
unknown | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
125th Brigade |
Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
350 Soldiers |
unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
42 Civilians killed |
Unknown | ||||||||
The Battle of 1–7 September was fought during the Kosovo War between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav Police (Milicija). During the period from September 1 to 7, 1998, Yugoslav Milicija units conducted an operation against the KLA. As part of this action, KLA positions located near Prizren, in the villages of Lez, Jeshkovë, Kushtendillë, Lybeçevë, and Hoçë e Qytetit were attacked. However, the primary engagement occurred in the village of Jeshkovo."[6] This was the first battle in the Prizren District during the Kosovo War.[4]
On Monday, August 31, Yugoslav Police surrounded Lez. By Tuesday morning, September 1, 1998, around 8:00 a.m, they commenced shelling KLA positions in the hills surrounding the village. The villagers fled to nearby Lybeçevë, while the KLA members remained. The night before the second offensive, the KLA had information about large movements of Yugoslav troops around the territories where the KLA positions were located.[12] The KLA soldiers were all in a state of readiness in their positions, with the command of the 125th brigade being put into action.[12]
The 1st Battalion observed Yugoslav movements towards the top of Cyileni, commanders Salajdin Berisha and Xhevat Berisha with a part of the soldiers went to Cyilen.[12] On September 1, 1998, at around 7 am, Yugoslav forces began the offensive against KLA positions.[12] Initially, the attack began in the village of Lez, where fierce fighting took place and Yugoslav forces were met with heavy resistance.[12] At a position called Livadhet te Lavdicës, a grenade exploded in the trench at this position, resulting in the deaths of four KLA members.[6] Additionally, six KLA members were killed in the same position during the exchange of fire with the police.[6] 3 more KLA soldiers were killed.[6] Those killed were identified as KLA soldiers Xhevat Berisha, Salajdin Berisha, Shefqet Berisha, Hasim Berisha, Nehat Berisha, Alajdin Berisha, Bekim Berisha, Shahadin Berisha, Naip Berisha, Samidin Emini, Ibrahim Osmani, Asllan Berisha, and Izair Berisha.[11]
The fighting soon spread throughout the territory of Vërrin.[11] The Yugoslav forces shelled the positions of the 2nd Battalion from a distance, while the Yugoslav infantry tried to enter the positions of the 1st Battalion.[11] Around 5 pm, Yugoslav forces broke through a KLA position and captured Lez.[11] In Lez, three policemen were wounded: Miroslav Rakonjac was wounded by automatic weapons around 2:00 p.m., while Miroljub Ristić was seriously wounded, and Nenad Aleksić was lightly wounded by soldiers using automatic weapons, hand-held launchers, and mortars around 4:20 p.m.[6][13]
During the same night, while KLA soldiers were observing the terrain between the villages of Kushnin and Arbëri, the soldiers Tamil Shala, Refki Shala and Milaim Thaçi were ambushed.[11] Yugoslav forces began penetrating towards the territory which was under KLA control. Kushnin, Arbëria, Lez, the headquarters of the 125th Brigade in Jeshkovë and the village itself, Hoça e Qytetit, Kushtrimi, Billushë, Poslisht as well as the KLA positions in Vërrin were shelled constantly by the Yugoslav forces.[11] The shelling led to civilian casualties.[11]
The fighting continued on September 2, fierce fighting was concentrated in the village of Jeshkovo because of the Yugoslav goal of penetrating the headquarters of the 125th Brigade, which was located in Jeshkovo.[11] During the afternoon of September 2, Agim Shala, Avdi Shala, Besim Shala, and Fatmir Berisha died.[11]
Heavy shelling continued at Kushtrim and Billushë, and Yugoslav forces tried to enter Dushkaja of Poslisht, then the positions of Tusus.[11] After some positions of the 1st Battalion were broken, the position at Tusus was in danger and the command of the 1st Battalion retreats to the village of Arbëri, while the 2nd Battalion remained at their positions. Astret Poniku, and Arsim Poniku were killed.[11] KLA forces held their positions against the Yugoslav forces, and Jeshkova was under KLA control.[11]
Tusuz massacre
[edit]On 26 May 1999, Serbian forces committed a massacre in the ethnic Albanian neighborhood of Tusuz, near Prizren, killing 27 civilians.[14] It followed the execution of brothers Enes and Fatmir Muharremi a week earlier in the neighborhood of Bilbildere.[15] On 17 May, KLA forces had killed 3 Serbian soldiers following a clash with Yugoslav forces in Tusuz.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "20 vjet nga beteja e parë e UÇK-së në komunën e Prizrenit". gazetaprizrenit.net. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ Drecun, Milovan (2004). Drugi kosovski boj. M. Drecun. p. 73. ISBN 978-86-84771-09-6.
- ^ "Ubijeno petnaest pripadnika OVK, ranjena dva policajca - Lični stavovi - Dnevni list Danas" (in Serbian). 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ a b c d "Beteja për liri a vdekje në Vrri-Prizren, midis UÇK-së dhe forcave serbe". gazetaprizrenit.net. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b За вечан помен и сећање, 549mtbr.com, retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Fifteen KLA members were killed, two police officers were wounded". danas.rs (in Serbian). 2008-09-03. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30.
- ^ a b "The battle for freedom and death in Vrri-Prizren, between KLA and Serbian forces". gazetaeprizrenit.net (in Albanian). 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
- ^ admin (2013-07-16). "Përkujtohet Beteja e 16 Korrikut të UÇK-së". PrizrenPress - Portal informativ (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b admin (2023-07-16). "25 vite më parë, beteja për liri a vdekje në Vërri të Prizrenit". PrizrenPress - Portal informativ (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ "Radio Omega 3". radio-omega3.org. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Më 1 shtator 1998 nuk filloi viti i ri shkollor, por filloi beteja e UÇK-së për liri a vdekje në Vërri të Prizrenit". 04 Online. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b c d e ramiberisha (2022-09-01). "ME 1 SHTATOR 1998 NUK FILLOI VITI I RI SHKOLLOR, POR FILLOI BETEJA E UÇK PËR LIRI A VDEKJE KUNDËR SERBISË, NË RAJONIN E VËRRINIT!". Prizreni Sot. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Pripadnici Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova - žrtve albanskog terorizma u 1998.godini". arhiva.srbija-info.gov.rs (in Serbian). 18 February 1999.
- ^ "President Osmani commemorated the anniversary of the Massacre in the Tusuz neighborhood of Prizren". president-ksgov.net. 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Under Orders: War Crimes (Prizren)". hrw.org. Human Rights Watch. 2001.