Battle of Junik

The Battle of Junik (Albanian: Beteja e Junikut; Serbian: Битка за Јуник, Bitka za Junik) was a battle fought during the Kosovo War between the Albanian group known as the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and security forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over the town of Junik in western Kosovo.

Background

During the Kosovo War, the town of Junik was the main conduit for weapons smuggling and distribution of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in western Kosovo.

Battle

On 28 July 1998, the Yugoslav Army (VJ) surrounded the town. Government forces then gave civilians and the insurgents one hour to surrender or leave the town, but no one complied once the deadline passed. Heavy fighting ensued. On 17 August 1998, after a siege lasting twenty days, Yugoslav security forces seized control of Junik, forcing many KLA militants to abandon their weapons and ammunition and flee into the surrounding hills and forests as members of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit stormed the town. The result was the restoration of the federal government's control of the village and the key road that lay next to it. During the battle, four Serb policemen and two Yugoslav army soldiers were killed.

Notes

Notes:

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^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has been recognised as an independent state by 108 out of 193 United Nations member states.