Battle of Rezalla (1997)
42°46′N 20°49′E / 42.767°N 20.817°E
| Battle of Rezalla (1997) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Insurgency in Kosovo (1995-1998) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kosovo Liberation Army |
 FR Yugoslavia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Adem Jashari Abidin Rexha |
Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
20 Insurgents |
Unknown but greater than the KLA Armored vehicles and tanks 1 Helicopter | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
None |
2-10+ killed Heavy damages on Yugoslav armored vehicles and tanks | ||||||
 2 ethnic-Albanian teachers killed | |||||||
The Battle of Rezalla (1997) (Albanian: "Beteja e Rezallës" , Serbian: "Bitka kod rezale") was a battle fought during the Insurgency in Kosovo between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and FR Yugoslavia on 25–27 November 1997, in the region of Drenica. The battle is viewed as the first "large-scale" battle of the KLA.[1]
Battle
[edit]On 25 November 1997, Yugoslav officers were defeated in combat by Abidin Rexha in the Binajak of Vojnik street of Rezalla, where they failed to arrest the insurgent. The next day, the Yugoslav police and army were supposed to conduct a raid on the village of Rezalla but were ambushed by KLA forces led by Adem Jashari which had previously hid in the woods. After retreating, Yugoslav forces reorganized and started crossing the Skenderaj-Klina road whilst a helicopter scanned ahead. Adem Jashari gathered 20 KLA insurgents and waited in the narrow pass surrounding the road. When the Yugoslav vehicles came, the KLA insurgents fired at them killing many and damaging Yugoslav artillery and vehicles. Due to this, Yugoslav forces retreated to the village of Llausha where they shot 2 Albanian teachers who worked in the primary school of the village.[2][3]
The KLA did not report suffering any casualties. According to Tim Judah, 2 Yugoslav troops were killed, while according to Kosovar historian Ahmet Qeriqi who specialed in the Kosovo War 10+ were killed. During the battle there were also very heavy damages on Yugoslav armored vehicles and tanks.[4][3]
Aftermath
[edit]On 28 November, after the battle ended, the KLA made their first public appearance at the funeral of one of the teachers killed by Serbian forces, giving a speech surrounded by a crowd consisting of hundreds of ethnic Albanian civilians.[5]
In January 1998, Yugoslav forces attacked the Jashari Household in Prekaz, but failed to kill Adem, Hamzë and Shaban Jashari, retreating to a nearby artillery factory.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Qeriqi, Ahmet (16 September 2024). "Çlirimtari Ramush Haradinaj dhe pacifisti Albin Kurti ku ishin gjatë luftës dhe ku janë tani". radiokosovaelire.com.
- ^ Geci, Rrustem (20 September 2016). "Liria perendesha e fitoreve". radiokosovaelire.com.
- ^ a b Ahmet, Qeriqi (6 March 2024). "Adem Shaban Jashari (28.11.1955 – 7.3.1998)". radiokosovaelire.com.
- ^ Tim, Judah (2002). Kosovo, War and Revenge. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300097252.
- ^ Qeriqi, Ahmet (17 February 2024). "Kosova një histori e shkurter deri ne pavarësi III". radiokosovaelire.com.