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.
3 April	End of demonstrations during which 9 people are killed and more than 250 injured.

1993-1996

Date	Event
May	2 Serbian police officers were killed in an ambush by Albanians in the town of Glogavac, Kosovo.
27 october	A Serbian police inspector and a Serbian policeman were killed by the KLA in an ambush in the village of Surkis in Podujeva.
21 April	Kosovo Albanian student Armend Daci was shot by a Serb civilian sniper in Sunny Hill, Prishtina.
25 April	Three KLA members shoot in Restaurant Çakor in Deçan and kill three people.
16 June	Police officer Goran Mitrović was seriously injured in an attack on a police patrol near Podujevo by the KLA.
17 June	In Sipolje, near Kosovska 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.

1998

• 28 February: Firefight in Likošane. 4 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA.
• 28 February: Serbian police killed 14 Albanians of the Ahmeti family.
• 5 March: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA in Prekaz.
• 5–7 March: Attack on Prekaz. Yugoslav victory. 28 militants and 30 civilians killed by VJ.
• 7-10 March: Battle of Llapushnik KLA victory.
• 24 March: First Battle of Glodjane KLA victory.
• 23 April: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory. 18 militants killed by VJ.
• 8 May: Yugoslav Police attack a civilian van in Dečan. 1 civilian dead and 4 civilians injured.
• 25 May and 1 April: Ljubenić massacres.
• 15 june: In an ambush by the KLA,2 Serbian police officers were killed and 7 other were wounded,5 of them were VJ soldiers.
• 22 June–1 July: Battle of Belaćevac Mine. Yugoslav victory.
• 18 July: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
• 25–26 July: KLA abandonment of the Lapušnik prison camp. 23 of 35 inmates killed by KLA.
• 6 July–17 July: First Battle of Lođa. KLA victory.
• 17–20 July Battle of Orahovac. Yugoslav victory.
• 28 July–17 August: Battle of Junik. Yugoslav victory.
• 9 August: Opljaz clashes. KLA victory, 20 Yugoslav soldiers killed by the KLA.
• 1-30 August: 17 Yugoslav policemen killed in attacks by KLA in the Drenica valley.
• 10 August–17 August: Second Battle of Lođa. Yugoslav victory.
• 11–12 August: Second Battle of Glodjane Yugoslav victory.
• 9 September: Lake Radonjić massacre.
• 15 September: Đeravica clashes. KLA victory, 40 Yugoslav soldiers killed and 20 wounded.
• 30 September: Operation Fenix. KLA victory.
• 26 and 29 September: Gornje Obrinje massacre.
• 3 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clash. Yugoslav victory.
• 14 December: Albanian–Yugoslav border clashes. Yugoslav victory.
• 14 December: Panda Bar massacre.
• 23–27 December: Battle of Podujevo. Yugoslav victory.

1999

• 8 and 10 January: 4 Yugoslav policemen killed by KLA near Uroševac.
• Račak massacre.
• NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Operation Allied Force.
• F-117A shoot-down.
• Bombing of Novi Sad.
• Bela Crkva massacre.
• Velika Kruša massacre.
• Suva Reka massacre.
• Izbica massacre.
• Drenica massacres.
• 13 April: Albania–Yugoslav border incident. Status quo ante bellum. Albanian Army retakes control.
• Battle of Košare. KLA forces captured the border outpost of Košare between FR Yugoslavia and Albania, but were unable to make further advances.
• 21 April: 6 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA near Meja.
• Meja massacre.
• April: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA near Vučitrn.
• Vučitrn massacre.
• Grdelica train bombing.
• 12 May: KLA forces attack VJ transport truck and burn it with soldiers inside, Vneshte 1999.
• 19-20 May: 14 Yugoslav special forces killed in an ambush by KLA near Junik.
• 26 May: 2 Yugoslav policemen killed in an ambush by KLA in Tusus
• 26 May: Tusus massacre. Serbian police kills 27 Albanian civilians.
• NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Gjakova.
• NATO bombing of the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters.
• NATO bombing of Belgrade streets.
• Lužane bus bombing.
• Cluster bombing of Niš.
• United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
• Koriša bombing.
• Ćuška massacre.
• Battle of Pashtrik. KLA forces capture Mount Paštrik, but are unable to make further advances

Further reading

• Tim Judah (2002). Kosovo: War and Revenge. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09725-2.