The Battle of Podujevo (; , ''Bitka kod Podujeva'') was fought in the
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
between the Yugoslav
Special Anti-Terrorist Unit and
KLA insurgents in the village of Llapashtica e Epërme in the municipality of
Podujevo. These events started after the death of a policeman who was killed by KLA militants in the area.
Battle
The Battle occurred between 23–27 December 1998. Yugoslav forces had the goal of destroying the ZOLL (Operative Zone of
Llap) headquarters of the KLA. Before reaching the village of the ZOLL headquarters, the Yugoslav forces were met with strong resistance of the KLA at Tabe. On December 25th, KLA fighters ambushed a police car in the village of Zakut in the Podujevo municipality and in the city centre, explosives were hurled at the homes of local Serbian police officers. Fighting in Podujevo continued until December 27, when
Yugoslav Army (VJ) forces secured the town following the withdrawal of the
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an Albanians, ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Republic of Serbia (1992–2006), Republic of R ...
(KLA).
On the same day,
Yugoslav police attempted to capture Llapashtica, but were ambushed by
KLA fighters en route.
The
KLA reportedly used 120-millimeter mortars, destroying two
armoured personnel carriers
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
(APCs) and wounding three officers.
Although
Yugoslav police repelled the ambush, the
KLA held their positions in the village.
Diplomats indicated that the
KLA in Llapashtica was also open to negotiations.
According to international monitors who contributed to
Operation Eagle Eye, this battle shattered a ceasefire called on by foreign forces. At the conclusion of the fighting, the
Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission The Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission (KDOM) was a group of independent observers sent to Kosovo during the Kosovo War.
In a compromise agreement between Slobodan Milošević and Boris Yeltsin in June 1998, the FR Yugoslavian government agreed to ...
monitored a convoy of Yugoslav Army vehicles.
References
{{Wars and battles involving Serbs
Podujevë
Podujevo
Podujevo
1998 in Kosovo
Podujevo
Kosovo Liberation Army
December 1998 in Europe