25 years after the heroic fall of the Jashars, Epotheas begins today

The extensive attack Serbia had undertaken in Drenica to eliminate the Kosovo Liberation Army had concentrated on Prekaz, the heart and head of the KLA, making it an iron siege.

What had happened in early March 1998 has been a living testimony to the civilized world and its political and diplomatic responsibilities. In fact, this event, so direct and powerful for its size of the unique, resistance and slaughter sacrifice, has raised the Kosovo issue at the top of the global agenda. Thus, on the night of March 4 and 5, 1998, Precazi was surrounded by numerous military and police forces. This meant that there would be iron sieges.

Yes, on March 5, 25 years of the fall of the legendary commander, Adam Yashhar, his family, and other Jashars take place. Every anniversary, however, Adam Yasar was made the most glorious in the history of our nation.

With the act of bringing down the legendary commander, Adem Jashar, his family, and other Jashares, Kosovo had overcome fears by which it had opened the paths of freedom and the future. And not by chance, in Prekaz, in the Jasaran Quarter, the largest monument of the war for freedom, for independence and democracy, which these days and dates, exactly 5,6.7 March per year, had set up the attention of the entire Albanian nation, which had given Kosovo a lot for centuries and years.

From 1991 to 1998, Prekazi and Drenica had been surrounded by Serb paramilitary forces. The goal had been to kill the commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Adem Jashar and his family, to eliminate and suppress the resistance the Jashari family led by Adam and Hamza, who were making it to Slobodan Milosevic's regime.

On December 30, 1991, the first attack on the Yashhar family had been carried out. While the second attack by Serb paramilitary forces had been carried out in January, 1998. On January 22nd, Serbian forces had attacked the Jashar family, but even this battle, the children and women of the Jashar family had resisted. However, in this battle that had lasted about 30 minutes, Iliriana, daughter of Rifat Jashar and Selvetta, daughter of Hamza Yasar, remained wounded. After this attack, the Jashar family had become friends, friends of their countrymen to solidify them. They had asked family head Jashar to draw women and children from there. But even women and children had made the decision to stay, saying that “if the boys were killed, we were not interested in living” and had decided to stay. They had stayed to show the world that Albanians go nowhere beyond their land and houses.

The third attack, which took place on March 5, 6 and 7, 1998, had claimed the lives of 55 people in the village of Prekaz, 22 of whom were close family members of Adem Jashar. This attack had survived only the Union, the son of Rifat, who had managed to leave the district between March 5th and had managed to escape the attack, as well as Besarta, Hamza's daughter, who had seen and experienced horrors until her family members were killed.

The Jashar family story and its exhibits are located at the Kosovo Liberation Army Age Museum.

On the 25th anniversary of the heroic fall of legendary Commander Adem Jashar, the Jashar family, the martyrs of the nation, as well as all of those who fall for freedom, the Government of Kosovo on 5, 6 and 7 March will organise the popular manifestation “The era of the Kosovo Liberation Army”.

Today they are going to start their prayers in Prekaz, until the Kazerman “Adem Jashari” in Pristina, starting at 12:00, the KSF's cadation ceremony will take place.

As for tomorrow, there will continue the views in Prekaz, then the Kosovo Assembly will hold the solemn session, and the afternoon will be held at the Memorial Academy.

On March 7th, however, the night of fires will be held in Prekaz, as well as an artistic programme in the Skyeraj Square. /Kosovo pres/