Battle of Prekaz (1999)

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The Battle of Prekaz (1999) (Serbian: Битка код Преказа (1999); Albanian: Beteja e Prekazit (1999)) took place on 29 March 1999 in the village of Prekaz, in the Drenica operational zone, in Kosovo during the Kosovo war.

Background

It was almost the end of the day, when Yugoslav attacks were usually not expected, the KLA led their guard down, and since it was Eid al-Fitr, a group of Soldiers had gathered to eat and celebrate.

Battle

Around 4 p.m., Yugoslav forces with armored vehicles advanced from the village of Polac toward the Kodra neighborhood in Prekaz. A group of about 10 KLA fighters quickly mobilized to resist the attack, engaging in close-range combat. Yugoslav forces engaged in close combat with the KLA and were overwhelming them with their artillery. KLA reinforcements from nearby areas, including the Lushtaku neighborhood in Prekaz, arrived and launched a counterattack against Yugoslav forces. This forced the Yugoslav forces to retreat back toward Polac, which was abandoned.