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'{{Refimprove|date=January 2010}} {{disputed|Dispute|date=February 2010}} {{Infobox Military Conflict |conflict=Battle of Košare |partof=the [[Kosovo War]] |image= |caption= |date=April 9, 1999 &ndash; June 10, 1999 |place=Košare, [[Kosovo]], [[FR Yugoslavia]] ([[FR Yugoslavia]]n - [[Albania]]n border) |result = Both sides claim victory *Yugoslavia claimed victory on the basis the KLA did not achieve their strategic objective of taking Kosare, and suffered serious losses *KLA claimed victory on the basis the Yugoslav army withdrew following the [[Military Technical Agreement|Kumanovo treaty]] |combatant1={{flagicon|FR Yugoslavia}} [[FR Yugoslavia]]<br>{{flag|Russia}} [[volunteers]] |combatant2=[[File:UCK KLA.png|22px]] [[Kosovo Liberation Army]] <br /> {{flagicon|NATO}} [[NATO|NATO Air Force]] <ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/jul/17/balkans</ref> |commander1=N/A |commander2=[[File:UCK KLA.png|22px]] [[Agim Ramadani]] <br> [[File:UCK KLA.png|22px]] [[Sali Çeku]] |strength1= at least 1,200 in Koshare + few thousand troops total in entire the border region<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/jul/17/balkans</ref> |strength2= several hundred troops participated in both Koshare & Pashtrik battles |casualties1= at least 180<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/jul/17/balkans</ref> + at least 4 Russians killed (Albanian claim) |casualties2= 114 killed (KLA claim)<ref>[http://www.kosharja99.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=5 List of KLA members killed at Kosare]</ref> }} {{Campaignbox Kosovo War}} The '''Battle of Košare''' ({{lang-sr|Бој на Кошарама, ''Boj na Košarama''; or Пакао Кошара, ''Pakao Košara''}}; {{lang-sq|Beteja e Kosharës}}) was fought during the [[Kosovo war]] between the [[Yugoslav Army (FRY)|military forces of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] on one side and the [[Kosovo Liberation Army|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{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} and the cutting off of the communications of the Yugoslav Army between the forces in Prizren and Djakovica.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} Another goal was the taking of the Metohija area.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} 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 [[Albania]]n 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 [[Good Friday|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 == {{Reflist}} *[http://www.politika.rs/pogledi/Miroslav-Lazanski/KO-JE-PREVARIO-GENERALA.lt.html Who tricked the general?] *[http://www.scribd.com/doc/2945431/Djordje-Jevtic-Albanski-terorizam-i-rat-na-Kosmetu Terrorism and war on Kosmet] *[http://stef124.tripod.com/kosovo98.htm Wan on Kosovo and Metohija] *[http://www.trajkovic.rs/komentari/05.09.2006.html Attack on airports in Tuzla and Tirana] *[http://www.milosevic-trial.org/trial/2002-02-14S.htm http://www.milosevic-trial.org/trial/2002-02-14S.htm] *[[Milovan Drecun]]: [http://fliiby.com/file/327655/bjkkuqi3qg.html Pakao Košara], a documentary about the battle {{Coord missing|date=June 2009}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Kosare}} [[Category:Kosovo War]] [[Category:Battles involving Serbia]] [[Category:Battles involving Albania]] [[de:Schlacht um Košare]] [[sq:Beteja e Koshares]] [[sr:Битка на Кошарама]]'