Battle of Košare

Battle of Košare
Part of the Kosovo War
File:Kosare-99.jpg Yugoslav soldiers posing at Košare Outpost, 1999
Date April 9, 1999 – June 10, 1999 Location Košare, Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavian - Albanian border) Result Tactical Yugoslav Victory, Strategic KLA Failure
Belligerents
FR Yugoslavia Russia	Kosovo Liberation Army ((flagicon

Albania

NATO |strength1= {{country data FR Yugoslavia)) 2,000 Soldiers 500 Specialist Soldiers

549th Motorized Brigade

{flagicon|flag icon/core|variant=FR Yugoslavia|size=}} 125th Motorized Brigade

Parts of Pristina Corps

Tank Aid, around two T-55s

A number of volunteers |strength2= 6,000 Insurgents Artillery Aid, a huge number of mortars, howitzers

A number of soldiers around the border

{{country data Albania)) Tank Aid, a number of tanks

A very limited use of NATO airstrikes |flag icon/core|variant=Russia|size=}} † Vitali Bulakin commanders2= † Agim Ramadani † Salim Gjekai }}

The Battle of Košare ([Бој на Кошарама, Boj na Košarama; or Пакао Кошара, Pakao Košara] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); Albanian: Beteja e Kosharës) was fought during the Kosovo war between the military forces of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on one side and the KLA. The battle was fought around Rasa Koshares on the border between FR Yugoslavia and Albania from 9 April until 10 June during the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia.

The point of the attack from the Albanian side was a land invasion of Kosovo and the cutting off of the communications of the Yugoslav Army between the forces in Prizren and Djakovica. Another goal was the taking of the Metohija area. After days of heavy fighting, the Yugoslav Army kept the Kosovo Liberation Army from advancing into Kosovo. Members of the KLA managed to take the Košare outpost because of a massive artillery barrage by the Albanian Army and NATO bombardardment of strategic sites held by the Yugoslavs but failed to complete any of their strategic objectives or driving Yugoslav forces out of the area.

Attack

On Orthodox Great Friday, 9. April 1999, at 03:00 a massive artillery strike from the Albanian side began in direction of Košare outpost. Artillery strikes was coordinated by the very well trained French Foreign Legion. Albanians attacked in three directions, the first was towards Rasa Košare, second was towards the well-defended Košare outpost and the third was towards Maja Glava. During the artillery bombardment, approximately 1,500 KLA soldiers reached the border unspotted. At that time less than 200 members of Yugoslav Army were guarding the first line. Bloody fighting ensued and lasted the whole day with heavy losses on both sides. Later the KLA took the top of Rasa Košares and immediately switched to their defensive tactic.

The battle continued all night until the next morning. Then, with massive artillery support, the KLA took Maja Glava and continued to bombard the Košare Outpost, which resulted in the Yugoslav Army having to abandon their posts. At 19:00, members of the KLA entered the abandoned outpost and CNN and the British BBC broadcasted that the great number of KLA soldiers had taken the outpost.

Members of Yugoslav Army retreated towards the second line of defense above the outpost. Those positions were much more easier to defend. The next day, reserve troops arrived to relieve the Yugoslav Army. One batch of KLA insurgents managed to cut the Yugoslav Army line of communications, and managed to damage one BOV vehicle.

During the night, the KLA attacked the Yugoslav Army at Opijaz, trying to shatter the resistance of the Yugoslav soldiers, but all of the attacks were unsuccessful and resulted in the Yugoslav Army inflicting heavy losses on the KLA.

The next day, the KLA tried to break the resistance of the second defensive line, but those attacks again didn't have much success. Meanwhile, the Yugoslav Army managed to bring in their Special Forces and also a few artillery pieces.

Reorganization of Yugoslav positions and counterattack

Albanian artillery continued to shell Yugoslav positions from Maja Glava and Rasa Košares. The Yugoslav Army Headquarters decided to attack suddenly and surprise the enemy. On April 14, the Yugoslav troops attacked Maja Glava. The length between the two enemy trenches wasn't longer than 50 meters. The Yugoslav Army wasn't able to take Maja Glava completely, but it prevented the Albanian artillery from engaging them from their positions. The Maja Glava front was stabilized until the end of the war, without any changes on the lines.

During April on Rasa Košares there wasn't any change on the front lines and both sides suffered heavy losses. Yugoslav soldiers from the non-stop artillery bombardment, the Albanians from the unsuccessful attempts to break the Yugoslav line of defense.

May at Košare

May began with unsuccessful attacks by the Yugoslav Army to take back Košare outpost. The attacks were made unsuccessful because of the heavy artillery fire. On the 6th of May, the Yugoslav Army counterattacked at Rasa Košares so it would stop the artillery bombardment. A bloody skirmish ensued, in which the Yugoslavs inflicted heavy losses on the KLA, but the Yugoslav Army did not manage take Rasa Košares. On 10 May, the Yugoslav Army sent two T-55 tanks to help stabalize the offensive on Rasa Košares, when the tanks crossed over the KLA lines, they managed to gain over 100 meters of insurgent-held territory, but the KLA still retained control of Rasa Košares. During the night between 10th and 11 May, NATO bombers dropped bombs on Yugoslav troops who had attacked KLA positions under Rasa Košares, in this attack NATO killed 8 Yugoslav soldiers and one officer and wounded over 40 men. The KLA instantly attacked and took the positions from the exhausted Yugoslavs.

During the middle of May, many bloody skirmishes were fought at Mrcaj, which was evantually taken by the Yugoslav Army. After the Yugoslavs had inflicted heavy casualties on their fighters, the KLA had to retreat from their positions giving the Yugoslavs the chance to take the now undefended position. This development allowed the Yugoslav Army to stabilize the terrain and to hold the attackers outside the line of defense. The bloody battle of Košare lasted until the 10th, when the Yugoslavs agreed to withdraw from Kosovo.

After

Kosovo War lasted until June 10. The Kumanovo Agreement was signed and the Yugoslav Army and police had to pull out of Kosovo. The KFOR entered Kosovo as a peacekeeping force. The KLA was, under the terms of the Kumanovo Treaty, disarmed and disbanded.

External links

• Who tricked the general?
• Terrorism and war on Kosmet
• Wan on Kosovo and Metohija
• Attack on airports in Tuzla and Tirana
• http://www.milosevic-trial.org/trial/2002-02-14S.htm
• Milovan Drecun: Pakao Košara, a documentary about the battle