Glogovac Attack

Glogovac Attack
	Part of the pre–war period
Date	22 May 1993
Location	Glogovac, Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, FR Yugoslavia
Result	KLA victory
Belligerents
Kosovo Liberation Army	FR Yugoslavia Serbian Police (MUP);
Commanders and leaders
Hashim Thaçi	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	5 killed; 2 wounded

The Glogovac Attack was an armed confrontation in May 1993, where the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) ambushed Serbian police. This attack is considered the first armed engagement by the KLA. The incident was carried out by Hashim Thaçi, also known as "The Snake," who later became one of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.^[1]

As a result, Hashim Thaçi was later pursued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, according to Articles 551 and 554 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the order of the District Court in Pristina, K-37/97. He was sought for the purpose of serving a 10-year prison sentence.^[3]

Background

Formation of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)

The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was established in the early 1990s as a paramilitary organization with the primary aim of achieving Kosovo's independence from Yugoslavia. It was composed mainly of ethnic Albanians who were dissatisfied with the treatment of Kosovo Albanians under Yugoslav and Serbian rule. The KLA emerged during the crisis in Bosnia, forming as a small radical group in late 1992 and early 1993. Initially, it consisted mostly of a few Kosovar Albanians who were members of an activist radical leftist organization from the early 1980s known as the Levizja Popullore e Kosovës (LPK), or the People's Movement of Kosovo. The LPK consistently advocated for Kosovo's independence and resisted Serbian control.^[4].

The KLA initially engaged in low-intensity guerrilla warfare, targeting Serbian police and military forces in Kosovo. Over time, the organization gained support from the Kosovo Albanian diaspora and other sympathizers, which helped in securing funds, weapons, and volunteers.

^ Rathfelder, Erich (2007-12-10). "Hashim Thaci in Kosovo: Die Häutung der Schlange". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
^ Mijajlovic, Mihajlo S.; Anicic, Djordje S. (2022-01-28). Shooting Down the Stealth Fighter: Eyewitness Accounts from Those Who Were There. Air World. ISBN 978-1-5267-8043-0. Some journalists claim that a May 1993 attack in Glogovac that left five Serbian policemen dead and two wounded was the first attack carried out by the KLA.
^ Arsovska, Jana (2015-02-06). Decoding Albanian Organized Crime: Culture, Politics, and Globalization. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-28280-3.
^ Perritt, Henry H. (2010-10-01). Kosovo Liberation Army: The Inside Story of an Insurgency. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09213-8.

[1] Rathfelder, Erich (2007-12-10). "Hashim Thaci in Kosovo: Die Häutung der Schlange". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-07-29.

[2] Mijajlovic, Mihajlo S.; Anicic, Djordje S. (2022-01-28). Shooting Down the Stealth Fighter: Eyewitness Accounts from Those Who Were There. Air World. ISBN 978-1-5267-8043-0. Some journalists claim that a May 1993 attack in Glogovac that left five Serbian policemen dead and two wounded was the first attack carried out by the KLA.

[3] Arsovska, Jana (2015-02-06). Decoding Albanian Organized Crime: Culture, Politics, and Globalization. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-28280-3.

[4] Perritt, Henry H. (2010-10-01). Kosovo Liberation Army: The Inside Story of an Insurgency. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09213-8.

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