Ismet Jashari

Ismet Jashari
Ismet Jashari
	Monument of Ismet Jashari in the city of Prizren
Birth name	Ismet Jashari
Born	16 April 1967; Orizari, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, FPR Yugoslavia [lower-alpha 1] (today North Macedonia)
Died	25 August 1998 (aged 31); Klečke, Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia (now Republic of Kosovo)
Allegiance	Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)
Years of service	1997–1998
Rank	Soldier; Commander
Battles/wars	Battle of Kleçka †; ; Battle of Luznica;
Awards	Hero of Kosovo (posthumously)

Ismet Jashari (16 April 1967 – 25 August 1998) also known as Commander Kumanova (Albanian: Komandant Kumanova), was an Albanian soldier of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) movement who was killed on 25 August 1998 during the fighting with Serbian forces in Klečke, Kosovo. The Ismet Jashari-Kumanova Brigade[1] of the KLA was named in his memory. After his death, he was declared Hero of Kosovo.

Jashari had left Switzerland where he lived to join the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to fight against Serbian military and police forces under the command of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.

Early life

Ismet was born on April 16, 1967 in the village of Orizari in the Municipality of Lipkovo.

From his father's side, the Jashari family migrated to Macedonia in the early 1910s from Vranje in south-Serbia when there were a significant minority of ethnic Albanians living there. His mother came from the Emini family of Lipkovo near Kumanovo in Macedonia.

He completed primary school in his hometown to continue his secondary education in Kumanovo, Macedonia.

During the 80s and 90s Ismet Jashari was active on promoting democracy and freedom in the Communist Federation of Yugoslavia, these actions had him arrested several times and also the main factor which made him flee to Switzerland where he worked with construction.

He completed primary school in his hometown to continue his secondary education in Kumanovo.

Ismet Jashari has two brothers and five sisters. One of the brothers is Jemail Jashari who is an MP in the Macedonian Parliament today, representing the Albanian political party BDI (Bashkimi Demokratik për Integrim). The second brother is Murat Jashari who was arrested for illegal weapon trade during the Kosovo Wars by Swiss authorities.

Death

On August 25, 1998, while fighting with Serbian Forces, Ismet Jashari was killed. On August 25, 2009, Jashari was posthumously awarded the Hero of Kosovo award.

Legacy

In 2001, the 113th NLA Brigade was established under his name during the 2001 Insurgency in Macedonia. In 2011 a monument dedicated to him was inaugurated in Lipkovo Municipality, Republic of Macedonia.

Notes

The political status of Kosovo is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, it is formally recognised as an independent state by 97 UN member states (with another 15 recognising it at some point but then withdrawing recognition), while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory.

References

Huggler, Justin (12 March 2001). "KLA veterans linked to latest bout of violence in Macedonia". The Independent (UK). Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 6 December 2008.

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[status-1] The political status of Kosovo is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, it is formally recognised as an independent state by 97 UN member states (with another 15 recognising it at some point but then withdrawing recognition), while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory.

[2] Huggler, Justin (12 March 2001). "KLA veterans linked to latest bout of violence in Macedonia". The Independent (UK). Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 6 December 2008.