On the 28th anniversary of the Dukagjin Epic, tributes were paid to the martyrs who gave their lives for freedom\u2014Him Haradinaj, Gazmend, and Agron Mehmetaj\u2014through commemorative ceremonies at the memorial complex in Gllogjan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The battle was described as a significant moment in the history of the Albanian people, one of the most important episodes of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) struggle and of the armed resistance of Albanians in Kosovo, KosovaPress reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The General of the Dukagjin operational zone and leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, recounted how they planned daily on how to confront Serbia, but Serbia acted first with the confrontation in Prekaz following the Re\u00e7ak Massacre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haradinaj also mentioned the NATO bombings, emphasizing that he will never forget the joy on the faces of the Albanian people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt had been a long time in our efforts to organize ourselves to confront Serbia face-to-face. These efforts were not successful: there was the painful January with Zahir Pajaziti, Hakifi, Edmondi, Luan in May \u201997, the killing of Ardian Krasniqi. Our fight had not gone so well. After several attempts in Prekaz, following Re\u00e7ak, the confrontation in Prekaz occurred\u2014a confrontation that is truly unique and incomparable\u2026 It was a tense moment for Gllogjan, uncertain how the next confrontation would unfold. Serbia knew who we were. If this confrontation had gone against the KLA, it would have affected not only us but all Albanians and the further course of this war. The outcome of this war resulted in the victory of the Albanians. Even though three of us were killed, the Albanians ultimately won this fight. I will never forget March 24, 1999\u2014the faces of my fellow fighters, Albanians emerging from the gorges I did not even know they were hiding in, saying that God also exists for Albanians. The intervention of America helped end our war and ensured our liberation,\u201d <\/em>Haradinaj said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mayor of Gjakova, Ardian Gjini, stressed that heroes are not only those who gave their lives for freedom but also the living who contributed to this day, highlighting NATO\u2019s role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the most important episodes of our liberation struggle, in the armed resistance history of Albanians in Kosovo, was the glorious confrontation in Gllogjan on March 24\u2014a confrontation that was not simple, a military battle, a testament to the character, courage, and determination of the Albanian people for freedom. An event that marked a major turning point in the liberation war. Today, we remember a battle that holds a special place in history\u2014a moment when a determined group of fighters faced a powerful military machine without numerical or weapon superiority, but with faith in the justice of their cause and determination not to surrender. This is a day of reflection on our history,\u201d<\/em> Lame said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recognition of their exceptional merits, both General Kudusi Lame and AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj were honored on this occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today marks 28 years since the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) battle in Gllogjan, known as the \u201cDukagjin Epic,\u201d which took place on March 24, 1998.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A frontal battle occurred in Gllogjan between the KLA and Serbian forces, who had surrounded the area. The main target was believed to be the Haradinaj family home. On this day, martyrs Him Haradinaj, Gazmend, and Agron Mehmetaj were killed. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On the 28th anniversary of the Dukagjin Epic, tributes were paid to the martyrs who gave their lives for freedom\u2014Him Haradinaj, Gazmend, and Agron Mehmetaj\u2014through commemorative ceremonies at the memorial complex in Gllogjan. The battle was described as a significant moment in the history of the Albanian people, one of the most important episodes of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":81625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[301,296],"tags":[7886,5080,391,4995],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81624"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81627,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81624\/revisions\/81627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}