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Battle of Rezalla (1997)

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1997 military operation

42°46′N 20°49′E / 42.767°N 20.817°E / 42.767; 20.817

Battle of Rezalla (1997)
Part of the Insurgency in Kosovo (1995-1998)
Date25–27 November 1997
LocationDrenica,AP Kosovo,FR Yugoslavia (present day Kosovo)
Result

KLA victory

  • The Yugoslav raid on Rezalla fails as Yugoslav troops fail to capture Abidin Rexha and are forced out of the village.
  • Yugoslav forces attempt to reorganize but are attacked in an Ambush and retreat to the Llausha primary school where they killed 2 Albanian civilians.
Belligerents
Kosovo Liberation Army Federal Republic of Yugoslavia FR Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Adem Jashari
Hashim Thaçi		 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Unknown
Strength
22+ Insurgents Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Unknown but greater than the KLA
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Unknown number of vehicles and artillery
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1 Helicopter
Casualties and losses
Very minor Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Many killed
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia unknown number of artillery and vehicles damaged and destroyed
Insurgency in
Kosovo (1995–1998)
Insurgency in Kosovo

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.

Battle

On 25 November, 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 helicopter scanned ahead. Adem Jashari gathered 22 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.

Aftermath

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.

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

References

  1. ^ Qeriqi, Ahmet (16 September 2024). "Çlirimtari Ramush Haradinaj dhe pacifisti Albin Kurti ku ishin gjatë luftës dhe ku janë tani". radiokosovaelire.com.
  2. Geci, Rrustem (20 September 2016). "Liria perendesha e fitoreve". radiokosovaelire.com.
  3. Qeriqi, Ahmet (17 February 2024). "Kosova një histori e shkurter deri ne pavarësi III". radiokosovaelire.com.
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