Battles of Kika and Velegllava
| Battles of Kika and Velegllava | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II in Yugoslavia | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Balli KombetarSupport:  Germany |
 Yugoslav Partisans | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Mulla Idriz Gjilani Limon Staneci Abdi Gjoka † Bajram Poliça † Nazim Budrika Islam Shahiqi † |
unknown | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Ballists from Gollak |
First battle:
| ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
First battle: 300-400 soldiers Second battle: unknown |
First battle: 500-600 soldiers Second battle: 3,000-3,500 soldiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
First battle: 17 killed Second battle: 34 killed |
First battle: 344 killed 340 POW | ||||||
The Battles of Kika and Velegllava were fought first on 28 June 1944 and later again on 26 July 1944, during World War II, between Yugoslav Partisans and Balli Kombëtar forces, in the territory of German occupied Albania.
First Battle
[edit]The first Offensive by the Yugoslav forces of the 22nd Division, aimed at the Velegllava height of Kika Mountain in the Gollak region, occurred on June 28, 1944.[1][2][3] A group of 500-600 men, mobilized from Toplica, Vranje, and Leskovac, launched an offensive towards Kika[1][2][3][4] However, they encountered fierce resistance from Balli Kombëtar units. During the 12-hour-long fight, which continued into June 29, 1944, the Yugoslav partisans were defeated with significant losses.[1][2][3][4] In the first battle, the Yugoslav Partisans suffered heavy losses, with 200 killed and 131 taken as Prisoners of War.[1][3][4] The Ballist forces also faced losses, with 17 killed, including 2 officers, and many injured.[1] On the Ballist side several Commanders such as Abdi Gjoka from Mati, Bajram Poliçka, and others were killed in the first battle.[1][2]
Second Battle
[edit]During the night between July 25 and 26, Yugoslav Partisans of the 21st, 22nd, 24th, and 25th divisions, with new military reinforcements of about 3,000-3,500 soldiers, launched a wide-scale offensive on a 20 km front with the goal of capturing Gjilan.[5][3][6] The Yugoslav partisans attacked Kika Mountain once more, and the second battle again concluded with a Ballist victory.[6] The Partisans suffered 143 killed and 209 wounded, while on the Albanian side, 34 Ballists were killed. Among the dead was one of the Ballist commanders, Islam Shahiqi.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "FJALËSI I EMRAVE TË PERSONALITETEVE DHE NGJARJEVE NGA TERRITORI I KOMUNËS SË GJILANIT DHE TËRËSIA ETNIKE SHQIPTARE, POR EDHE NGA BOTA" (PDF). Municipality of Kosovo: 56–57. 2016 – via Republic of Kosovo, Municipality of Gjilan.
- ^ a b c d e Ramadani, Nijazi. "Beteja e Kikes".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c d e mediafokus (2021-08-02). "77 vjet nga Beteja e lavdishme e Kikës (Dokumentar)". Mediafokus (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ a b c Pirraku, Muhamet (1995). Mulla Idris Gjilani dhe mbrojtja kombëtare e Kosovës Lindore: 1941-1951 (in Albanian). "Dituria Islame" redaksia e botimeve historike.
- ^ "Nazim Sejdë Budrika - Komandant i Betejës së Kikës". Gazetë Rajonale Online - RajoniPress.com (in Albanian). 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
- ^ a b Selimi, Bardhyl (2016). Adem Gllavica (Selimi) tregon: (me rastin e 100 vjetorit të lindjes) (in Albanian). Botimet Ngjyrat e kohës. p. 292. ISBN 978-9928-4327-4-2.
Beteja e Kikës u zhvillua më 26 korrik 1944, kur në befasi partizanët, pas mesit të natës, ia mësynë pozicioneve shqiptare. Shqiptarët ishin mobilizuar dhe tani më të përgatitur arritën që të zmbrapsin komunistët serbë, të cilëve u shkaktuan humbje të mëdha. Këto dy luftëra të suksesëshme i bënë vullnetarët shqiptarë më të fuqishëm moralisht. Numri i gadimasve në këto luftime arriti mbi 150 veta.