Attack on Prekaz (1913)

The Attack on Prekaz (1913) was an incident that occurred during the Balkan Wars between Ahmet Delia and 13 Serbian soldiers.

Attack on Prekaz (1913)
Part of First Balkan War
Artistic depiction of Ahmet Delia swinging his axe on a Serbian Soldier
Date 1913 Location Prekaz, Drenica, Kosovo Result Albanian Victory
Belligerents
Albanian irregulars	Kingdom of Serbia
Commanders and leaders
Ahmet Delia (DOW)	Jovan Radosavljević  (POW)
Strength
3 initially unarmed men	13 armed soldiers
Casualties and losses
1 mortally wounded	12 killed 1 captured
Several Albanian civilians killed by Serbian forces

Background

See also: Balkan Wars and Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars

During the First Balkan War (1912–1913), the Ottoman Empire lost most of its European territories. Kosovo, long a contested region, was annexed by the Kingdom of Serbia. This shift was met with significant resistance by the Albanian population, who sought either independence or Unification with other Albanian-majority territories. The Serbian military occupation was marked by harsh measures, including widespread violence against Albanian civilians aiming to suppress dissent and solidify Serbian control.

Attack

A group of 13 Serb soldiers had entered the village and began looting, burning and killing Albanian civilians. Ahmet Delia, aged 63 at the time, spotted the soldiers as they forced the neighbor Halil and his family on the yard.

When Delia heard the women and children crying he decided to take action and approached the house. He called on his son Mursel and the village chieftain, Rame Islami, and together they approached the soldiers. Delia lacked proper weapons and armed himself with an axe whilst the other two took up spades. When Delia entered the yard the other two blocked the door, cutting off the Serb soldiers and allowing Delia to fatally wound the vanguard. The Serb soldiers, alarmed by the sudden ambush, decided to try and surround Delia only to be ambushed by Mursel in turn, killing them and arming himself with their rifles which he then turned on the rest of the unit.

Delia continued to swing his axe against the Serb soldiers whilst Mursel and Rame overran those that converged on Delia. One soldier managed to shoot Delia, injuring him, but was almost immediately overpowered by Mursel who choked the soldier to death. The fight ended with 12 dead Serbian soldiers leaving only Jovan Radosavljević as the sole survivor of the unit, who attempted to flee but was captured by Rame shortly afterwards.

Aftermath

Delia spared Jovan's life and ordered the release of the soldier to deliver a message to then king of Serbia, Petar Karađorđević, of the fate that awaited anyone attempting to occupy Albanian lands. Delia succumbed to his injuries hours later.