In the village of Gabricë, Xheladin Kurtaj, a fighter of the Kosovo Liberation Army and a martyr, was killed. He was born in the village of Gabricë in Kaçanik in 1976. In 1995, he began studying acting at the Academy of Arts in Pristina. From an early age, Kurtaj was actively involved in illegal activities. In the spring of 1998, he left his studies to join the ranks of the Kosovo Liberation Army in Drenica. Initially, he was tasked with the supply of armaments and subsequently participated in the battle in the gorge of Carraleva. He then moved to the Operative Zone of Nerodime, covering the area of Jezerci and the villages of Kaçanik, where he continued to assist in supply efforts. In July 1998, the area command appointed Xheladin Kurtaj as responsible for forming the military police of the Kosovo Liberation Army for the Kaçanik area. Tragically, he was surrounded by Serbian forces in his home in the village of Gabricë. After four hours of fierce fighting, he was killed. In honor of his sacrifice, the House of Culture in Kaçanik bears his name, commemorating his contributions to the struggle for freedom in Kosovo.
(In the photo: Xheladin Kurtaj)
Text: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 922.
Photo: © https://www.facebook.com/kaqanikumerrethin/posts/868743453309227/
Graphic processing: AHCF
