Kosovo commemorates 25th anniversary of Prekaz Massacre

By Eren Beksac

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Kosovo commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Prekaz Massacre on Sunday with a ceremony in the capital.

The Prekaz Massacre was known as an attack in which Adem Jashari, one of the founding commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), and his family were murdered.

Jashari is one of the symbols of Kosovo's independence.

President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti addressed soldiers and the public in a ceremony held at a barracks in Pristina.

"This freedom and this state bear the stamp of the legendary commander Adem Jashari, his family, the 3,000 martyrs of the UCK and the thousands of soldiers who are still with us today,'' said Osmani.

- Prekaz Massacre

On March 5-7 1998, around 5,000 Serb forces blockaded Jashari's family compound in the village of Prekaz and killed 58 of his family and relatives, including women, children and the elderly.

Only Besarta, the 10-year-old daughter of Hamza Jashari, survived the massacre.

The attack, known as the Prekaz Massacre, is considered one of the turning points that led to NATO’s decision to intervene in Kosovo in 1999.