Agim Shala
Agim Avdi Shala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Albanian “Tigri i Vërrinit” English “Tiger of Vërrin” |
| Born | September 18, 1975 Jeshkova, AP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo) |
| Died | 3 September 1998 (aged 22) Jeshkova, AP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo) |
| Allegiance |  Kosovo Liberation Army |
| Rank | Non-commissioned officer (NCO) |
| Unit | 125th Brigade |
| Known for | Fighting alongside his father and cousin |
| Battles / wars | First Battle of Vërrin Second Battle of Vërrin † |
| Awards | Hero of Kosovo (posthumously) |
Agim Avdi Shala (September 18, 1975 – September 3, 1998) was a Kosovo Albanian commander that fought in the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The goal of the KLA was the independence of Kosovo from FR Yugoslavia. Agim Shala was killed in action during the second Battle of Vërrin.[1]
Early years
[edit]Shala was born on September 18, 1975, in the village of Jeshkove, Prizren, to an ethnic Albanian family which belonged to the Shala tribe.[1] He finished primary school in Hoçë e Qytetit. Agim Shala started high school in Prizren, at the "Gani Çavdërbasha" Technical School and construction branch.[1]
Yugoslav authorities began prosecuting Albanian activists, which led to the Shala family’s wealth to decline. This forced Agim to stop the lessons and take the path of Albanian nationalism.[1]
In 1993, Agim Shala left Jeshkova. To escape the arrests, and to earn money, he settled in Rome, Italy, together with Naser Berisha.[1]
Mobilization
[edit]When Agim Shala heard about the Attack on Prekaz, together with many activists, he reconnected with his uncle Selim and his friends from Prizren and on May 6 of 1998, he was placed in the Regional Operative Headquarters for Prizren in Jeshkovë, to help Remzi Ademaj, Xhevat Berisha, Ismajl Kryeziu, and Ekrem Rexha.[1]
With the formation of the Special Unit for Rapid Interventions, near the Vërrin Headquarters, Agim Shala was placed in charge of the special unit “Djemte e Verrinit”, in the logistics sector. Agim was ambushed twice, but crossed the border more than 30 times without any wounds.[1] On July 7, he fought in the attack on Billushe, and defeated the Yugoslav troops there. Again on July 16 he fought in the Battle of Tusus and Hoçë e Qytetit, where he defeated the Yugoslav troops once again. After these victories, Agim helps in logistics in breaking the border with quick navigation.[1]
On September 1, 1998, several KLA commanders were killed amidst fighting in Smolica, Anadrin and Vërrin. On September 3, Agim Avdi Shala fell in bloody battles, after dressing the wounds of fellow soldier Besim Ryshen Shala.[1]
After the Battle of Vërrin, the battles on the flanks: Gremnik, Çupevë, Valljakë, Sverkë, Rudë, Panorc, Dush, Zatriq and up to Palluzhë of Anadrin, the battles on the Cermjan front; the defensive arc on the line Negroc - Kamaran - Drenas in Shkabaj, Čikatovo, Dobrashevc and up to Skenderaj, the battles in Nerodime, Košare, Drenjak and Balaj, those in Bjeshke and Gjeravica, the battles in Ashlan and in the mountains Qyqavica and Budakovo, proved to be the golden links of the KLA's success in August and September of 1998.[1]
Legacy
[edit]In 2023, a statue of Agim Shala was built in front of the Prizren municipality.[2]