Battles of Rezallë

The Battles of Rezalla were two armed confrontations in the Village of Rezalla near Skenderaj in November 1997 and March to May 1999 during the Insurgency in Kosovo and the Kosovo War.

On 25 November 1997, Yugoslav police and army units were on their way to raid the home of Abdedin Rexha, known as “Sandokani”, who had clashed with Serbian police the day before. En route to Vajnik, they were ambushed by KLA forces positioned in the forest on both sides of the road in Rezallë e Re. On one side, the rebels were led by Adem Jashari, while on the other they were led by Sabit Geci. Adem Jashari and Sabit Geci gathered 22 KLA insurgents and waited in the narrow gorge surrounding the road. When Yugoslav vehicles arrived, KLA insurgents fired on them, killing many and damaging Yugoslav artillery and vehicles. After the ambush, Yugoslav forces retreated to the village of Llaushë, where they shot two Albanian teachers working in the village's primary school, one of them being Halit Geci.^[2] Fighting would continue in the village of Rezallë-Ludoviq-Llaushë area, which would be captured by the KLA and led to the KLA gaining control over the Drenica region.^[1][3] On 28 November 1997, three days later, KLA groups from Drenica, joined by Daut Haradinaj of the Dukagjin region, assembled at the residence of Sabit Geci, where they drafted a declaration of war and agreed to publicize it during the funeral ceremony of the slain teacher, Halit Geci. ^[7]

This battle is known for having been fought by some of the KLA’s most elite fighters. Many of its participants, such as Adem Jashari, Nuhi Geci, Abedin Rexha, Ilaz Kodra, and Mujë Krasniqi, would later become martyrs of the Kosovo War.^[8]

From 24 March 1999 to 15 May 1999, a Second Battle occurred in the village of Rezallë. KLA Forces under Malush Ahmeti and Ilaz Dërguti led the defense of Rezallë.^[4] On 24 March 1999, at 8:10& p.m., after the first NATO attack on Yugoslavia began, directed at several military targets, the Yugoslav forces had begun to attack the KLA in the villages of Rezallë, Marinë and Polluzhe. The KLA forces, and especially the II and III companies of the 113th Brigade, defended the villages of Marinë, Rezallë, and Polluzhe. KLA forces were also joined by soldiers of the 114th Brigade, "Fehmi Lladrovci". On the same day, since 8:30 a.m., fighters like Alush Istogu and Murat Kukaj have been in positions in the village of Polluzhë.^[5] In 5 April, Yugoslav forces killed at least 80 civilians in Rezalla.^[9] For seven weeks up until 15 May 1999, the KLA successfully defended Rezalla and the surrounding villages and made it impossible for Serbian troops to penetrate or capture the area despite Malush Ahmeti‘s death.^[4]

There were no KLA casualties but many Yugoslav forces were killed in the first Battle and several of their combat vehicles were damaged, while two Albanian civilian Teachers were killed by Yugoslav forces.^[2]

During the Second Battle, 80 civilians were killed by Yugoslav forces and Serbian Police.^[9] According to the HLC, the KLA suffered only 2 casualties and one Russian soldier volunteering for the VJ had disappeared, those being:^[6]

• Malush Halil Ahmeti, KLA commander, killed on 15 May 1999.
• Bedri Isuf Deliu, KLA soldier, killed on 29 March 1999.
• Sergej Ivanovič Starcev, Russian volunteer in Yugoslav Army, disappeared on 11 May 1999.