On March 5, 1998, the third attack by Serbian forces against the commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Adem Jashari, his family, and the Jashari neighborhood in Prekaz marked the beginning of one of the most defining moments in Kosovo’s history.
The fighting lasted three days — March 5, 6, and 7.
From Adem Jashari’s close family alone, 22 members were killed, while 33 others from the extended Jashari neighborhood and relatives also lost their lives.
Two children survived the attack:
- Bashkim, the son of Rifat Jashari, who managed to escape the surrounding area.
- Besarta, the daughter of Hamza Jashari.
The first attack against the Jashari family had taken place earlier, on December 30, 1991.
The second attack was carried out by Serbian paramilitary forces in January 1998.
On January 22, 1998, Serbian forces again attacked the Jashari compound. Even during that confrontation, the women and children of the family resisted. The battle lasted around 30 minutes, leaving Iliriana, the daughter of Rifat Jashari, and Selvetja, the daughter of Hamza Jashari, wounded.
After that attack, friends, relatives, and fellow Albanians came to show solidarity with the Jashari family. They urged the family patriarch to move the women and children away from the compound.
However, the women and children themselves decided to stay, declaring:
“If the men are killed, life is not worth living for us.”
They chose to remain — to show the world that Albanians would not abandon their homes and land.
Today, the story of the Jashari family and many historical artifacts are preserved at the KLA Epic Museum, dedicated to the memory of the KLA Epic.
To honor the heroic fall of Adem Jashari, the Jashari family, and all those who died for freedom, the Government of Kosovo organizes the nationwide commemoration “KLA Epic” every year on March 5, 6, and 7.
