The Kosovo Regiment ( sq, Regimenti Kosova, sr, Косовски пук) was an

Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

military unit created after Italian capitulation in November 1943 in

Kosovska Mitrovica Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is ...

Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia The Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia (german: Gebiet des Militärbefehlshabers in Serbien; sr, Подручје Војног заповедника у Србији, Područje vojnog zapovednika u Srbiji) was the area of the Kin ...

(modern day

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

) by Nazi Germany, consisting of local Albanians.

Background

Following the

capitulation of Italy The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Briga ...

from the war,

Xhafer Deva Xhafer Deva (21 February 1904 – 25 May 1978) was a Kosovo Albanian politician during World War II. A notable local politician in Kosovo and in Axis-occupied Albania, he took charge of German-occupied Mitrovica and worked with the Germans ...

helped form a provisional government under German occupation and set up the

Second League of Prizren The Second League of Prizren was an organisation founded by Albanian officials in Kosovo in September 1943 to campaign for the ethnic unification of Albanians in Albania. From 1918, Kosovo was integrated into the newly formed Kingdom of Yugosla ...

alongside other Albanian nationalists. The Kosovo Regiment was established as military formation of the Second League of Prizren. The regiment was established by the Central Committee of the Second League of Prizren. The Germans entrusted the establishment of the Kosovo Regiment to Bajazit Boletini. The commander of the regiment was Bajazit Boletini, while commanders of regiment's battalions were Rasim Dajči, Jusuf Boletini (Bajazit's brother) and Rizo Agaj. The number of Albanians who joined this regiment was around 1,000 or 1,500.

Activities

On 3 December 1943 the regiment murdered 30 Serbs in village Rakoš, on 4 December the regiment killed 34 Serbs in

Đakovica Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants. Geographicall ...

and another 36 Serbs in village Siga. This regiment was used against Partisans in neighboring regions. Between 4 and 7 December 1943, 400 soldiers of Kosovo Regiment commanded by

surrounded

Peć Peja ( Indefinite Albanian form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipality and Peja District. It is situated in the region of Rugova on the eastern section of the Accursed Moun ...

and committed mass murder of local

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

and

Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Genetics Accordi ...

, killing at least 300 people.: "At the end of 1943 (December 3), about 400 members of the so-called "Kosovo Regiment", headed by the criminal Xhafer Deva, arrived in Pec. As early as December 4, after the complete encirclement of the town, began the mass massacre of ..."

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kosovo Regiment Military units and formations of World War II Albania in World War II Serbia in World War II Modern history of Kosovo Kosovo Albanians Albanian militant groups Albanian nationalism in Kosovo Military units and formations established in 1943 Persecution of Serbs