Timeline of the Kosovo War

Timeline of the Kosovo War. Abbreviations:

Combatants
Peace-keeping forces
Organizations

Background

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1981

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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

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

1993-early 1998

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Date Event
May 1993 2 Serbian police officers were killed in an ambush by Albanians in the town of Drenas, Kosovo.[4]
22 May 1993 Glogovac attack. KLA victory. 5 yugoslav officers killed and 2 injured.
21 April 1996 Kosovo Albanian student Armend Daci was shot by a Serb civilian sniper in Sunny Hill, Prishtina.
25 April 1996 Three KLA members shoot in Restaurant Çakor in Deçan and kill three people.
16 June 1996 Police officer Goran Mitrović was seriously injured in an attack on a police patrol near Podujevo by the KLA.[5]
17 June 1996 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.[5]
27 October 1996 A Serbian police inspector and a Serbian policeman were killed by the KLA in an ambush in the village of Surkish in Podujevo.[6]
31 January 1997 Pestovë Ambush. Serbian police victory. Serbian Police kill Zahir Pajaziti.
26-28 November 1997 Battle of Rezalla (1997). KLA victory. KLA Forces led by Adem Jashari push Yugoslav forces out of Ludoviq (New Rezalla) on 26 November. 2 days later, on 28 November the first public KLA appearance occurs.[7]
January 1998 Young armed men of Klina who were not a part of the KLA remove all Serb Police presence in Klina.[8]
22 January 1998 First attack on Prekaz. Albanians drive out Serbian forces out of the village and its surroundings.[9]

Kosovo War

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1998

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  • 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.[10]
  • 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[11]
  • 23 April: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory. 18 militants killed by VJ.
  • After the 26th of April: Liberation of Drenoc. KLA victory.[12]
  • 3-6 May: Attacks in Ponoševac. KLA Victory[13]
  • 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.[12]
  • 12-13 May: Battle of Gradish. KLA victory.[12]
  • 12 May: Battle of Anadrina. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces retreat from Anadrinë[14][15]
  • 15-17 May: Clashes in Iglarevo.[16]
  • 25 May: Ambush near Ljubenić. KLA victory. 3 officers killed after the KLA attacked a vehicle near Ljubenić. Start of the Ljubenić massacre.[17]
  • 25 May and 1 April: Ljubenić massacres.
  • June–August: KLA Summer offensive (1998). Stalemate. KLA captures 40% of Kosovo. Yugoslav forces retake most eastern towns. 17 Yugoslav soldiers and police officers are killed. Unknown amount of KLA fighters killed.
  • 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.[18][page needed]
  • 9 June: Yugoslav Offensive on Albanian Border. Over 250 KLA weapons seized. Yugoslav Victory[19]
  • 9-10 June: Battle of Qerim Yugoslav Victory.[18]
  • 15 June: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed and 7 wounded in a KLA ambush.[20]
  • 22 June–1 July: Battle of Belaćevac Mine. Yugoslav victory.
  • 6 July: Lođa Ambush. KLA victory. 2 Yugoslav policemen killed.[21]
  • 6 July–17 July: First Battle of Lođa. KLA victory.
  • 13 July: Battle of Pantin. KLA victory after fierce fighting. One of the first battles of the Shala Operative Zone. After the battle, fleeing Albanian civilians make the KLA symbol for victory.[22]
  • 16 July: First Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory. First battle of the war in the Prizren region.[23][24]
  • 17–20 July Battle of Orahovac. Yugoslav victory.
  • 18 July: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
  • 19 July: Clashes around Orahovac.[25]
  • 19 July: Yugoslav-Albanian Border Shelling. 30 Militants Killed. Yugoslav Victory[26]
  • 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[27]
  • 27 July: Offensive on Kijevo. Yugoslav Victory.[28]
  • 27 July: Battles for Gornja and Donja Klina. Yugoslav Victory[29]
  • 28 July: Battle of Đocaj and Jasić KLA Victory
  • 28 July: Yugoslav Peć Offensive. Yugoslav Victory[30]
  • 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.[31]
  • 9 August: Opljaz clashes. KLA victory, 20 Yugoslav soldiers killed by the KLA.[32][33]
  • 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.[34]
  • 10 August–17 August: Second Battle of Lođa. Yugoslav victory.
  • 9-12 August: Clashes in Rznic-Babaloc. Yugoslav Victory.[35][36]
  • 11–12 August: Second Battle of Glodjane Yugoslav victory.
  • 15 August: Operation Eagle (Kosovo War). KLA victory. 6 Yugoslav troops killed in an ambush.
  • 16-25 August: Yugoslav Counter Offensive on Malishevë Yugoslav Victory.[36]
  • 22-25 August: Battle of Kleçka. Yugoslav victory. Yugoslav forces capture Kleçka and Luzhnica. 5-6 KLA militants killed. KLA general Ismet Jashari is killed.
  • 1 September: Incident in Lez. 16 Militants killed. Serbian police victory.[37][38]
  • 1-2 September: First battle of Ješkovo, KLA victory.
  • 2-4 September: Attacks on Astrozub. KLA forced to surrender after the city is encircled. It is later retaken by KLA.
  • 1-5 September: Second Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory.
  • 9 September: Lake Radonjić massacre.
  • September: Lake Radonjić Operation. MUP and JSO victory. Yugoslav troops capture Lake Radonjić.
  • 9 September: Yugoslav September Offensive. Yugoslav Victory[39]
  • 15 September: Gjeravica Attacks. KLA victory, 40 Yugoslav soldiers killed and 20 wounded.[40]
  • 15-17 September: Battle of Kaçanoll. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses.[41]
  • 25 September: Battle of Drënas Yugoslav victory, Yugoslav troops regain control over Drenica
  • 25 September: Attack on the Likovac-Gornje Obrinje Road. KLA victory. 5 Yugoslav police officers killed.[42]
  • 26 September: After more than a dozen Serb police are killed in fighting with the KLA.[43]
  • 30 September: Operation Fenix. KLA victory.
  • 26-29 September: Gornje Obrinje massacre.
  • 28 September: Battle of Jezerc. KLA victory. Dozens of Yugoslav forces killed.[44]
  • 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.
  • 24-27 December: Battle of Llapashtica. KLA victory.[45][46]

1999

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Aftermath

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1999

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  • 10 June: Following the NATO bombing and end of the war, Yugoslav forces withdraw from Kosovo.[73]
  • 11 June: Following the end of the war and departure of Yugoslav forces, KLA takes control of Prizren.[74]
  • 1999: Operation Kinetic (1999). 1400 Canadian troops deployed in Kosovo.
  • June–October: Gnjilane killings. 51 Serbian civilians are killed by the KLA Gjilan group.
  • 12 June: Incident at Pristina airport. After a tense standoff an agreement is made between NATO and Russia as the incident ends peacefully.
  • 12 June: Peja killings. 7 Albanian civilians are killed by Serbian forces.[75]
  • 12 June: Start of the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
  • 13 June: Prizren incident (1999). KFOR victory. 2 Yugoslav army strangglers killed. KFOR troops secure Prizren.
  • 20 June: KLA agrees to disband its forces after a meeting with NATO.[76]
  • 23 June: Zhegër Incident (1999). American/KFOR victory. KFOR troops secure Zhegër. 3 serbian militants killed.
  • July: Ugljare mass grave. 15 Serbian civilians killed.
  • 23 July: Staro Gracko massacre. 14 Serbian farmers killed.
  • 6 September: Ranilug incident. In an incident near the village of Ranilug, a Russian KFOR patrol shoots and kills 3 Serbian gunmen who attacked a carload of ethnic Albanians.[77]

2000

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  • 16 February: Start of the 2000 unrest in Kosovo.
  • 16 February: Podujevo bus bombing. 12 Serbs killed by Albanians.[78]
  • 26 February: A prominent serb medical doctor was murdered in Gnjilane.
  • 29 February: A Russian KFOR soldier was killed in Srbica.
  • February: A UN bus transporting Serb refugees in Mitrovica was hit by an anti-tank missile, and a grenade was thrown into a Serb café the same month, resulting in rioting by Serb civilians. 8 people killed.[79]
  • February: A Yugoslav police officer and physician were killed,and 3 officers and a physician were wounded in Kosovska Mitrovica.
  • 15 March: FRY file a complain after 16 serbian civilians were injured by grenade attacks in North Mitrovica.
  • 6 June: A grenade is thrown at a crowd of Serbians waiting for the bus in Gračanica. 3 civilians were injured.
  • 6 June: End of the 2000 unrest in Kosovo.

References

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  2. ^ "6 More Yugoslavs Sentenced For Ethnic Rioting in Kosovo". Reuters. 30 July 1981 – via NYTimes.com.
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Further reading

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