Timeline of the Kosovo War

Timeline of the Kosovo War. Abbreviations:

Combatants

• KLA—Kosovo Liberation Army
• FARK—Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo
• VJ—Yugoslav Army
• NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Peace-keeping forces

• KFOR—Kosovo Force (NATO)

Organizations

• ICTY—International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (UN)
• IICK—Independent International Commission on Kosovo
• KDOM—Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission

Background

1981

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

Date	Event
1991 (exact date unknown)	Croatian President Franjo Tuđman urges Kosovar Albanians to open a new front against Serbia and forms a new special Croatian Army unit with 400 Albanian soldiers which were supposed to be sent to Kosovo. However, after negotiations with Bujar Bukoshi fell through, the Kosovar-Albanian unit was dispatched in October and reincorporated.[3][4]
30 December 1991	Siege of Prekaz. Serbian police besiege the Jashari house but are forced to retreat from Prekaz.[5]

1993-early 1998

Date	Event
May 1993	2 Serbian police officers were killed in an ambush by Albanians in the town of Drenas, Kosovo.[6]
22 May 1993	Glogovac attack. KLA victory. 4-5 Yugoslav officers killed and 2 injured.
16 February 1995	A Serb policeman goes on a shooting spree, killing an Albanian.[6]
April 1995	Yugoslav police station attacked in the village of Isniq in the Deçan municipality, killing 2 Serbian police officers and wounding 4 in an Explosion at the station. [7]
20 June 1995	A nine-year old Albanian boy is shot dead by Serbian soldiers after approaching barracks to retrieve his goat.[6]
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.[8]
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.[8]
25 October 1996	Surkis ambush. 2 Yugoslav officers killed.[9]
31 January 1997	Pestovë Ambush. Serbian police victory. Serbian Police kill Zahir Pajaziti.
May 6 1997	Battle of Qafë Prush. Yugoslav victory. Yugoslav forces kill Luan Haradinaj and wound several others
26-28 November 1997	Battle of Rezalla. 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.[10] KLA gained control over Drenica.[11]
January 1998	Young armed men of Klina who were not a part of the KLA remove all Serb Police presence in Klina.[12]
22 January 1998	First attack on Prekaz. Albanians drive out Serbian forces out of the village and its surroundings.[13]

Kosovo War

1998

• 28 February: Likoshan ambush. KLA victory. 4 Yugoslav soldiers killed.^[14]
• 28 February: Attacks on Likoshane and Çirez Yugoslav Victory
• 28 February: Likoshan killings. 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.^[15]
• 5 March: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed in an attack on a police station by KLA in Prekaz.^[5]
• 5–7 March: Attack on Prekaz. Yugoslav victory. 59 Albanians killed by VJ, including 28 women and young children.
• 7-10 March: Battle of Llapushnik KLA victory.
• 24 March: First Battle of Glodjane KLA victory.
• Late March–December: Llapusha-South Drenica Front
• March: Operation in Marec. KLA victory. KLA captures the Marec highlands.^[16][17]
• 6 April-2 August: Defense of Smolica KLA victory.^[18]
• 16 April–August: Battle of Baballoq. KLA victory. KLA repel the Yugoslav attacks on the village.^[19]
• 23 April: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory. 18 militants killed by VJ.
• 26th of April: First Battle of Drenoc KLA Victory.^[20]
• 3-6 May: Attacks in Ponoševac. Inconclusive^[21]
• 11-12 May: Second Battle of Drenoc. KLA victory.^[20]
• 12-14 May: Anadrinë offensive. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces reatreat from Anadrinë.
• 15-17 May: Clashes in Iglarevo.^[22]
• 25 May: Ambush near Ljubenić. KLA victory. 3 officers killed after the KLA attacked a vehicle near Ljubenić. Start of the Ljubenić massacre.^[23]
• 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.
• 7 June: 2 KLA members killed crossing the Macedonian-Yugoslav border.^[6]
• 9 June: Yugoslav Offensive on Albanian Border. Over 250 KLA weapons seized. Yugoslav Victory^[24]
• 15 June: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed and 7 wounded in a KLA ambush.^[25]
• 22 June–1 July: Battle of Belaćevac Mine. Yugoslav victory.
• 6 July: Lođa Ambush. 2 Yugoslav policemen killed.^[26]
• 6 July–17 July: First Battle of Lođa. KLA victory.^{[27][better source needed]}
• 7 July: Battle of Morina Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses and retreat from the Morina after failing to break the corridor of weapons through the Morina pass from Albania to Kosovo. KLA victory.^[28]
• 10-11 July: Battle of Mazhiq. KLA victory. ^[29]
• 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.^[30]
• 16 July: First Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory. First battle of the war in the Prizren region.^[31][32]
• 17–20 July Battle of Orahovac. Yugoslav victory.
• 18 July: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
• 19 July: Clashes around Orahovac.^[33]
• 19 July: Yugoslav-Albanian Border Shelling. 30 Militants Killed. Yugoslav Victory^[34]
• 25–26 July: KLA abandonment of the Lapušnik prison camp. 23 of 35 inmates killed by KLA.
• 25-28 July: Battle of Bllacë. Yugoslav forces capture the village after a KLA tactical retreat^[35]
• 27 July: Offensive on Kijevo. Yugoslav Victory.^[36]
• 27 July: Battles for Gornja and Donja Klina. Yugoslav Victory^[37]
• 28 July: Battle of Đocaj and Jasić KLA Victory
• 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.^[38]
• 9 August: Battle of Opljaz. KLA victory, 20 Yugoslav soldiers killed by the KLA.^[39][40]
• 1-30 August: Drenica attacks. KLA victory. 17 Yugoslav soldiers killed by KLA attacks in the Drenica Valley.
• 10 August–17 August: Second Battle of Lođa. Yugoslav victory.
• 9-12 August: Clashes in Rznic-Babaloc. Yugoslav Victory.^[41][42]
• 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.^[42]
• 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.^[43][44]
• 1-2 September: First battle of Ješkovo, KLA victory.
• 2-4 September: Attacks on Astrozub. KLA forced to surrender after the village is encircled. It is later retaken by KLA.
• 1-5 September: First Battle of Vërrin. KLA victory.
• 9 September: Lake Radonjić massacre.
• September: Lake Radonjić Operation. MUP and JSO victory. Yugoslav troops capture Lake Radonjić.
• 15 September: Operation in Gjeravica. KLA victory, 40 Yugoslav soldiers killed and 20 wounded.^[45]
• 15-17 September: Battle of Kaçanoll. KLA victory. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses.^[46]
• 22-26 September: Central Drenica offensive. KLA victory. 14 Yugoslav troops killed. Start of the Gornje Obrinje massacre.
• 25 September: Attack on the Likovac-Gornje Obrinje Road. KLA victory. 5 Yugoslav police officers killed.^[47]
• 26 September: After more than a dozen Serb police are killed in fighting with the KLA.^[48]
• 30 September: Operation Fenix. KLA victory.
• 26-29 September: Gornje Obrinje massacre.
• 28 September: Battle of Jezerc. KLA victory. Dozens of Yugoslav forces killed.^[49]
• 3 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clash. Yugoslav victory.
• 14 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
• 14 December: Panda Bar massacre.
• 19 December: Zvonko Bojanić, the Serb mayor of the town of Kosovo Polje is assassinated by the KLA.^[50]
• 23–27 December: Battle of Podujevo. Yugoslav victory.
• 24-27 December: Battle of Llapashtica KLA victory.^[51][52]

1999

• 1 January: Battle near Štimlje Yugoslav victory.^[53][54]
• 7-8 January: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed in KLA attacks.^[6]
• 8 January: Ambush near Suva reka. In an ambush by the KLA near stimlje, 4 police officers were killed and 1 wounded.^{[55][56][57][58]}
• 8 January: Ambush near Kosovska mitrovica. The KLA ambushed a column of MUP vehicles near Kosovska Mitrovica, killing three soldiers and wounding many more. Eight VJ soldiers were captured.^[59]
• 9 January: Battle of Perani. Yugoslav forces suffer heavy losses. KLA victory ^[60][61]
• 10 January: The KLA attacked a police patrol in Slivovo. One policeman was killed.^[57]
• 15 January: Račak fighting (1999) MUP victory
• 15 January: Račak Massacre
• 16 January: Southern Kosovo Clashes. 15 Militants Killed. Yugoslav Victory^[62]
• 20 January: Skirmishes near Kosovska Mitrovica. Yugoslav Victory.^[63][64]
• 27–29 January: Battle of Rogovo. Yugoslav victory.
• 1 March: Clashes in Orahovac. Yugoslav Victory. Civilians flee the area.^[65]
• 11 March: Second battle of Ješkovo, Yugoslav victory.
• 15-16 March: Fighting in Podujevo; burning reported in the villages of Oshlane and Pantin.^[66]
• 17 March: Battle of Kabash. KLA victory. KLA capture Kabash and Korisha.^[67]
• 21-22 March: Kutlloc Raid. KLA victory. A Yugoslav military base is raided by the KLA and many weapons are seized together with a large stash of munition.^[68]
• 24 March-11 June: NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, codenamed Operation Allied Force.
• 24 March-11 June: Operation Echo.
• 24 March-9 June: Bombing of Novi Sad.
• March–June: Drenica massacres.
• 24 March: Yugoslav Offensive on Srbica. Yugoslav victory.^{[42][verification needed][69]}
• 24 March: Attack on Lipjan. Yugoslav victory. Yugoslav forces kill Ismet Asllani.
• 25 March: Aircraft chase from Batajnica. NATO victory. 2 Yugoslav MiG-29's chase a NATO aircraft from Batajnica but are then attacked by 2 NATO F-15. Both MiG-29's are shotdown
• 25 March: Bela Crkva massacre.
• 26 March: Suva Reka massacre.
• 25-28 March: Velika Kruša massacre.
• 27 March: F-117A shootdown by Yugoslav air force.
• 28 March: Battle of Pozhar, KLA victory ^[70]
• 28 March: Izbica massacre.
• 31 March: Incident Near Yugoslav-Macedonian Border, 3 US soldiers captured.^[71]
• 8 April: Ambush near Peć. KLA victory. 1 soldier killed and one Jeep destroyed.^[72]
• 9 April-10 June 1999: Battle of Košare. KLA forces captured the border outpost of Košare between FR Yugoslavia and Albania, but were unable to make further advances.
• 12 April: Grdelica train bombing.
• 13 April: Albania–Yugoslav border incident. Status quo ante bellum. Albanian Army retakes control.
• 14 April: NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Gjakova.
• 15 April: Battle of Zhegoc. KLA Victory. KLA brake the encirclement, leaving behind a large number of Serbian soldiers killed.^[73][74]
• 16 April: Battle of Mazniku. Yugoslav victory.
• 17 April: Capture of Paklek.^[75]
• 18 April: Battle of Pirana. KLA victory.^[76]
• 18 April: Battle of Shkembi i Gradinës. Decisive KLA victory.^[77]
• 18-23 April: Battle of Marec. KLA victory
• 21 April: Meja ambush. KLA victory. 6 policemen killed near Meja. Start of the Meja massacre.
• 23 April: NATO bombing of the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters.
• 27-28 April: Meja massacre.
• April: Zllash torture. 6 civilians tortured and 1 civilian killed by KLA.
• 1 May: Fighting near Vučitrn. KLA victory. 2 Yugoslav police officers killed. Civilians flee from Vučitrn. Start of the Vučitrn massacre.^[78]
• 1 May: Lužane bus bombing.
• 2-3 May: Vučitrn massacre.
• 4 May: Incident in Nakučan (1999). Yugoslav victory, pilot later saved
• 7 May: United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
• 7 May: Battle of Çabrati.^[79]
• 7-12 May: Cluster bombing of Niš.
• 12 May: Vneshte incident (1999). KLA victory. KLA attack a VJ transport vehicle, burning it with all of the soldiers inside.^[80]
• 13 May: Koriša bombing.
• 14 May: Ćuška massacre.
• 17 May: Battle of Jabllanica. KLA suffers heavy losses, but wins the battle.^[81]
• 18 May: Graštica Ambushes. KLA victory. 8-10 Yugoslav soldiers killed. Extensive amount of equipment captured.
• 19-20 May: 14 Yugoslav special forces killed in an ambush by KLA near Junik.^[82][83]
• 19-23 May: Dubrava Prison bombings and executions. 19-23 civilians killed by bombings and 79-82 civilians were executed
• 21-22 May: Magura Raid. KLA victory. Hundreds of anti-tank mines captured by the KLA after a raid on a Yugoslav military base in Magura.^[84]
• 25 May: Thousands of anti-war protesters, including many soldiers who have deserted from Kosovo, rally in southern and central Serbia, calling for the withdrawal of conscript troops from the conflict zone. Despite efforts by two high-ranking Yugoslav army generals to ease tensions, around 2,000 people gather outside the municipal hall in Krusevac to oppose a regional call-up. Similar protests take place in Aleksandrovac and Raska.^[6]
• 26 May: Tusuz ambush. KLA victory. 3 policemen killed on Tusus road by KLA.^[85]
• 26-29 May: Tusuz massacre. Serbian police kills 27 Albanian civilians.^[86]
• 26 May-3 June: Battle of Pashtrik. KLA forces capture Mount Paštrik, but are unable to make further advances.^[87][88]
• 28-29 May: Defense of Brovina. Large Serbian convoy sweeps through villages North of Gjakova and in Deçan but gets stopped in Brovina by Halit Asllani who defends the village and saves all villagers ensuring 0 civilian casualties and holding Serbs back for a day until his death. Tactical KLA victory.^[89]
• 30 May: Varvarin bridge bombing. 10 Serbian civilians killed. 17 injured.
• 30 May: Ambush near Orlate, Yugoslav victory
• 9 June: Kumanovo Agreement. End of the Kosovo War.

Aftermath

1999

• 10 June: Following the NATO bombing and end of the war, Yugoslav forces withdraw from Kosovo.^[90]
• 11 June: Following the end of the war and departure of Yugoslav forces, KLA takes control of Prizren.^[91]
• 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.^[92]
• 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.^[93]
• 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.^[94]
• 5 October: Albanians clash with armed Serb civilians and Russian and French KFOR in Mitrovica. 10 Albanians, 10 French, 6 Russians wounded and 1 Russian Tank destroyed. 3 Serbs killed and several injured.^[95]

2000

• 16 February: Start of the 2000 unrest in Kosovo.
• 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.^[96]
• 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.
• 28 October: 2000 Kosovan local elections.

2001

• 22 January: 2001 insurgency in Macedonia. Ohrid Agreement
• 16 February: Podujevo bus bombing. 12 Serbian civilians killed by Albanians.^[97]
• 1 June: End of the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley. Končulj agreement.
• 17 November: 2001 Kosovan parliamentary election. Ibrahim Rugova is elected.