Timeline of the Kosovo War

Timeline of the Kosovo War. Abbreviations:

Combatants

KLA—Kosovo Liberation Army
FARK—Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo
VJ—Yugoslav Army
NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Peace-keeping forces

KFOR—Kosovo Force (NATO)

Organizations

ICTY—International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (UN)
IICK—Independent International Commission on Kosovo
KDOM—Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission

Background

1981

Date	Event
11 March	1981 protests in Kosovo: Student protest starts at the University of Pristina
1 April	Between 5,000 and 25,000 demonstrators of Albanian nationality call for SAP Kosovo to become a constituent republic inside Yugoslavia, as opposed to an autonomous province of Serbia.
2 April	Presidency sends special forces to stop the demonstrations and declares a state of emergency in regards to Kosovo. State of emergency lasts 7 days.^[1]
3 April	End of demonstrations during which 9 people are killed and more than 250 injured.^[2]

1991-1992

Date	Event
30 December	Siege of Prekaz (1991) Serbian police besiege the Jashari house but are forced to retreat from Prekaz.^[3]

1993-1996

Date	Event
May	2 Serbian police officers were killed in an ambush by Albanians in the town of Drenas, Kosovo.^[4]
27 October	A Serbian police inspector and a Serbian policeman were killed by the KLA in an ambush in the village of Surkish in Podujevo.^[5]
21 April	Kosovo Albanian student Armend Daci was shot by a Serb civilian sniper in Sunny Hill, Prishtina.
25 April	Three KLA members shoot in Restaurant Çakor in Deçan and kill three people.
16 June	Police officer Goran Mitrović was seriously injured in an attack on a police patrol near Podujevo by the KLA.^[6]
17 June	In Sipolje, near Mitrovica, a police patrol was attacked by KLA members at around 23:55. Predrag Djordjevic (28) from Kruševac was killed and Zoran Vukocic (30) from Niš was injured.^[6]

1998

January 1998: Young armed men of Klina who were not a part of the KLA remove all Serb Police presence in Klina.^[7]
22 January: Attack on Jashari's compound in Prekaz. Albanians succeeded in pushing the Serbians out of the village and its surroundings.^[8]
28 February: Attacks on Likoshane and Çirez Yugoslav Victory
28 February: Serbian police killed 14 Albanians of the Ahmeti family.
February 1998: Drenica ambush: Four Serbian police officers were killed in a KLA ambush near Drenica.^[9]
5 March: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed in an attack on a police station by KLA in Prekaz.^[3]
5–7 March: Attack on Prekaz. Yugoslav victory. 28 militants and 30 civilians killed by VJ.
7-10 March: Battle of Llapushnik KLA victory.
24 March: First Battle of Glodjane KLA victory.
Late March–December: Llapusha-South Drenica Front
16 April-August: Battle of Baballoq^[10]
23 April: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory. 18 militants killed by VJ.
After the 26th of April: Liberation of Drenoc. KLA victory.^[11]
3-6 May: Attacks in Ponoševac. KLA Victory^[12]
8 May: Yugoslav Police attack a civilian van in Dečan. 1 civilian dead and 4 civilians injured.
11-12 May: 2nd battle of Drenoc. KLA victory.^[11]
12-13 May: Battle of Gradish. KLA victory.^[11]
12 May: Battle of Anadrina. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces retreat from Anadrinë^[13]^[14]
15-17 May: Clashes in Iglarevo.^[15]
25 May and 1 April: Ljubenić massacres.
1-3 June: Dečan operation Victory for the MUP and the JSO, clearing of most of southwestern Kosovo from KLA units.
2-3 June: Battle of Shaptej Victory for the Yugoslav Army, KLA forced to withdraw from Shaptej.^[16]^{[page needed]}
9 June: Yugoslav Offensive on Albanian Border. Over 250 KLA weapons seized. Yugoslav Victory^[17]
9-10 June: Battle of Qerim Yugoslav Victory.^[16]
15 June: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed and 7 wounded in a KLA ambush.^[18]
22 June–1 July: Battle of Belaćevac Mine. Yugoslav victory.
6 July–17 July: First Battle of Lođa. KLA victory.
16 July: First Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory. First battle of the war in the Prizren region.^[19]^[20]
17–20 July Battle of Orahovac. Yugoslav victory.
18 July: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
19 July: Clashes around Orahovac.^[21]
19 July: Yugoslav-Albanian Border Shelling. 30 Militiants Killed. Yugoslav Victory^[22]
25–26 July: KLA abandonment of the Lapušnik prison camp. 23 of 35 inmates killed by KLA.
25-28 July: Battle of Bllacë. Yugoslav Victory. KLA withdraws^[23]
27 July: Offensive on Kijevo. KLA Victory.^[24]
27 July: Battles for Gornja and Donja Klina. Yugoslav Victory^[25]
28 July: Battle of Đocaj and Jasić KLA Victory
28 July: Yugoslav Peć Offensive. Yugoslav Victory^[26]
28 July–17 August: Battle of Junik. Yugoslav victory.
26 August: Battle of Gunovc and Komorec. KLA victory, 8 Yugoslav soldiers killed by the KLA.^[27]
9 August: Opljaz clashes. KLA victory, 20 Yugoslav soldiers killed by the KLA.^[28]^[29]
1-30 August: 17 Yugoslav policemen killed in attacks by KLA in the Drenica valley.
7 August: Battle of Morina. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses. KLA victory.^[30]
10 August–17 August: Second Battle of Lođa. Yugoslav victory.
9-12 August: Clashes in Rznic-Babaloc. Yugoslav Victory.^[31]^[32]
11–12 August: Second Battle of Glodjane Yugoslav victory.
16-25 August: Yugoslav Counter Offensive on Malishevë Yugoslav Victory.^[32]
1 September: Incident in Lez. 16 Militiants killed. Serbian police victory.^[33]^[34]
1-2 September: First battle of Ješkovo, KLA victory.
2-4 September: Attacks on Astrozub KLA forced to surrender after the city is encircled,later retaken by KLA.
1-5 September: Second Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory.
9 September: Lake Radonjić massacre.
9 September: Yugoslav September Offensive. Yugoslav Victory^[35]
15 September: Gjeravica clashes. KLA victory, 40 Yugoslav soldiers killed and 20 wounded.^[36]
15-17 September: Battle of Kaçanoll. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses.^[37]
25 September: Battle of Drënas Yugoslav victory, Yugoslav troops regain control over Drenica
26 September: After more than a dozen Serb police are killed in fighting with the KLA.^[38]
30 September: Operation Fenix. KLA victory.
26 and 29 September: Gornje Obrinje massacre.
3 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clash. Yugoslav victory.
14 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
14 December: Panda Bar massacre.
23–27 December: Battle of Podujevo. Yugoslav victory.
24-27th December: Battle of Llapashtica. KLA victory. ^[39] ^[40]

1999

8 and 10 January: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed by KLA near Uroševac.
8 January. Ambush near Suva reka. In an ambush by the KLA near stimlje, 4 police officers were killed and 1 wounded.^[41]^[42]^[43]^[44]
8 January: Ambush near Kosovska mitrovica. The KLA ambushed a column of MUP vehicles near Kosovska Mitrovica, killing three soldiers and wounding many more. Eight VJ soldiers were captured.^[45]
9 January: Battle of Perani. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses. KLA victory ^[46]^[47]
10 January. The KLA attacked a police patrol in Slivovo. One policeman was killed.^[48]
16 January: Southern Kosovo Clashes. 15 Militiants Killed. Yugoslav Victory^[49]
20 January: Skirmishes near Kosovska Mitrovica. Yugoslav Victory.^[16]^[50]
27–29 January: Battle of Rogovë. Yugoslav victory.
Račak massacre.
1 March: Clashes in Orahovac. Yugoslav Victory. Civilians flee the area.^[51]
11 March: Second battle of Ješkovo, Yugoslav victory.
15-16 March: Fighting in Podujevo; burning reported in the villages of Oshlane and Pantin.^[52]
17 March: Battle of Kabash. KLA victory. KLA capture Kabash and Korisha.^[53]
24 March-11 June: NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, codenamed Operation Allied Force.
24 March-9 June: Bombing of Novi Sad.
March-June: Drenica massacres.
24 March: Yugoslav Offensive on Srbica. Yugoslav victory.^[32]^{[verification needed]}^[54]
24 March: Attack on Lipjan. Yugoslav victory. Yugoslav forces kill Ismet Asllani.
25 March: Bela Crkva massacre.
26 March: Suva Reka massacre.
25-28 March: Velika Kruša massacre.
27 March: F-117A shootdown by Yugoslav air force.
28 March: Battle of Pozhar,KLA victory ^[55]
28 March: Izbica massacre.
9 April-10 June 1999: Battle of Košare. KLA forces captured the border outpost of Košare between FR Yugoslavia and Albania, but were unable to make further advances.
12 April: Grdelica train bombing.
13 April: Albania–Yugoslav border incident. Status quo ante bellum. Albanian Army retakes control.
14 April: NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Gjakova.
15 April: Battle of Zhegoc. Yugoslav Victory. 8 KLA Killed^[56]
17 April: Capture of Paklek. Yugoslav Victory.^[57]
18 April: Battle of Pirana. KLA victory.^[58]
18 April: Battle of Shkembi i Gradinës. Decisive KLA victory.^[59]
18-23 April: Battle of Marec. KLA victory
21 April: 6 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA near Meja.
23 April: NATO bombing of the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters.
27-28 April: Meja massacre.
April: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA near Vučitrn.
1 May: Lužane bus bombing.
2-3 May: Vučitrn massacre.
7 May: United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
7 May: Battle of Çabrati.^[60]
7-12 May: Cluster bombing of Niš.
12 May: KLA forces attack VJ transport truck in the village of Vneshte and burn it with soldiers inside.
13 May: Koriša bombing.
14 May: Ćuška massacre.
17 May: Battle of Jabllanica. KLA suffers heavy losses, but wins the battle.^[61]
19-20 May: 14 Yugoslav special forces killed in an ambush by KLA near Junik.
26 May: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA in Tusus.
26-29 May: Tusus massacre. Serbian police kills 27 Albanian civilians.^[62]
26 May-3 June: Battle of Pashtrik. KLA forces capture Mount Paštrik, but are unable to make further advances.^[63]^[64]
11 June: Following the end of the war and departure of Yugoslav forces, KLA takes control of Prizren.^[65]
20 June: KLA agrees to disband its forces after a meeting with NATO.^[66]

References

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^ Hamiti, Vlora Zenuni (2023-09-12). "Agim Ramadani-Katana: Serbët ia patën frikën për së gjalli, po i frikohen edhe nga amshimi!". TV News. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
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^ Myers, Steven Lee (1999-06-20). "CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: THE REBELS; REBELS IN KOSOVO AGREE TO DISBAND, NATO OFFICERS SAY". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-24.

Background

1981

1991-1992

1993-1996

1998

1999

References

Further reading