The “Battle of Zhegoc” was a fierce confrontation between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) of the Karadak Operative Zone and the Serbian army and police. The battle took place in the Zhegoc Highlands, a strategic free zone. On March 28, 1999, the Zone Headquarters was situated in Lower Zhegoc, with the 171st “Kadri Zeka” Brigade stationed in the Highlands. In April 1999, the Serbian army launched a campaign across Kosovo with the goal of dismantling KLA units. On the night of April 14, Serbian forces surrounded the village of Zhegoc with thousands of troops and heavy equipment. The Kosovo Liberation Army was positioned in the villages of Kishnica, Brus e Honroc (north), Llabjan, Parallovo e Bresalc (east), Gadish e Ponesh (south) and Slovi e Akllap (west). The civilian population, about 6,000 people, was also sheltered in this area. On the morning of April 15, KLA vanguard units engaged Serbian forces at “Hanet e Zhegocit” to prevent their entry into the village. Despite suffering initial losses, Serbian forces retaliated by shelling KLA positions and civilian areas. The battle saw the loss of several KLA soldiers and 18 civilian casualties, with many others injured. The 171st Brigade “Kadri Zeka” successfully defended the civilians and broke the siege toward Marec. The Battle of Zhegoc was crucial due to its location, serving as a key link between the operational areas of Nerodima and Llapi. (In the photo: The cemetery of the martyrs in the village of Zhegoc.)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 182–183.
Photo: © https://kosovapress.com/24-vjet-nga-beteja-e-zhegocit
Graphic processing: AHCF
