Bajgora offensive

The Bajgora offensive was a military operation during the Kosovo War between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav forces. The offensive spanned from July 1998 to January 1999, focusing on the Bajgora region in northern Kosovo.
Background
In mid-May 1998, the KLA established a presence in the Bajgora region, capturing the village of Zhvillidove and setting up a military base. Subsequent advances led to the peaceful capture of Zaberegje, marking the KLA's first public appearance in the . On 22 June 1998, the KLA mobilized and secured control over multiple villages in the Bajgora region.
Brigade 141, known as "Mehe Uka," was responsible for operations in the area, registering over 100 fighters. In July 1998, Commander Remi inaugurated the first KLA military school in Bajgora, providing two-week training programs. Recruits received instruction on various weapons, including AK-47s, M48 sniper rifles, mortars, RPGs, and .50 caliber anti-aircraft guns. Training was supplemented by former MUP commander Nusret Ibishi, alias "Commander Leka," who imparted knowledge of Serbian police tactics. A detention center reportedly operated in the Bajgora region from August to October 1998.
Offensive
The offensive commenced with the Battle of Mazhiq on 10-11 July 1998. Yugoslav forces initiated shelling of villages such as Mazhiq, Kutllovc, and Barë, prompting a KLA counterattack. The engagement resulted in one KLA fatality and 14 wounded, with Yugoslav forces failing to capture Mazhiq at that time. The village was eventually seized in November 1998 as part of the broader offensive.
On 8 January, soldiers of the KLA attacked and ambushed a Yugoslav convoy heading for Kosovska Mitrovica in the village Bare in the region Shala e Bajgorës.
Key battlefronts included the villages of Melanica, Mazhiq, Ashlan, Vaganica, and Majdan. On 12 January 1999, the KLA captured eight Yugoslav soldiers, including a sergeant, in Bajgora. These soldiers were later exchanged for nine KLA fighters captured near the Kosovo-Albanian border in December 1998, in a deal brokered by U.S. and EU mediators.
Throughout the offensive, Yugoslav forces broke through KLA lines near Bajgora and Melanica, leading to significant civilian displacement. Many sought refuge in KLA-controlled villages like Vesekovce, Kurilovo, and Slakovce, which became overcrowded and housed a field hospital.
In early May 1999, Yugoslav forces resumed shelling villages around Bajgora. On 2 May, they breached KLA lines again, causing another mass exodus. A convoy of several hundred vehicles, carrying between 3,000 and 5,000 people, moved south toward Slakovce and Cecelija, eventually reaching Gornja Sudimlja. Yugoslav forces followed the convoy, burning houses in Slakovce and Cecelija. In Donja Sudimlja, Yugoslav forces reportedly opened fire on a surrendering convoy, resulting in civilian casualties.
The conflict extended into the Operational Zone of Shala. On 23 February 1999, the KLA captured the village of Bukos in Vushtrria, wounding five Serbian forces and inadvertently causing the death of one Serbian civilian in the crossfire.
Aftermath
Despite the long sustained offensives, Yugoslav forces managed to recapture only two of the 23 villages initially held by the KLA—Mazhiq (after a second attempt) and Melanica (after the end of the main offensive). The KLA retained control over the remaining villages, and Yugoslav forces failed to make further advances around Mitrovica.Meanwhile the Kosovo Liberation Army expanded the Operational Zone of Shala.
The offensive resulted in significant casualties. The KLA suffered approximately 100 fatalities and 200 wounded across the region, with 20 wounded during the Bajgora offensive itself. Yugoslav forces incurred heavy losses, though exact figures remain unknown.
Commanders Latif Gashi and Nazif Mehmeti were later accused of war crimes in Bajgora, including allegations of forcing recruits to kill a Serb to prove their loyalty. These charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence, and the co-defendants pleaded not guilty. In September 2012, the EU Rule of Law Mission prosecution amended the indictment by removing Bajgora and Koliq from the charges.
On 26 April 2019, then-President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, honored the martyrs of the Bajgora region, awarding the "Hero of Kosovo" order to individuals including Amet Haxha, Asllan Cimili, Enver Musa, Esat Meholli, Qazim Cimili, Rrustem Hyseni, Sokol Preteni, Shemsi Istrefi, and Xhemail Haxha. In his speech, President Thaçi emphasized the importance of respecting the values of the KLA's struggle for Kosovo's future integration into NATO and the European Union.

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