Pestovë Ambush

Pestovë Ambush
Part of the Insurgency in Kosovo (1995–1998)
Date 31 January 1997 Location Pestovë, Vushtrri, FR Yugoslavia, Result Serbian Police victory
Belligerents
Kosovo Liberation Army	FR Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Zahir Pajaziti † Edmond Hoxha † Hakif Zejnullahu †	Vlastimir Đorđević
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
3 Killed (Possibly more)	None

Pestovë Ambush was an attack preperated by Serbian Police Units (MUP) to eliminate KLA Founder Zahir Pajaziti, and his fellow commanders Edmond Hoxha and Hakiz Zejnullahu. The attack was succesfull and all 3 Leaders were killed.

Attack

On January 31 1997, Pajaziti and his assistants Edmond Hoxha and Hakiz Zejnulahhu together were driving from Priština to Mitrovica, while driving on the highway the Yugoslav Policemen blocked the roads and opened fire on the car, succesfully eliminating all 3 of them and causing big damage to the starting KLA.

Aftermath

His companion, Jashari, as one of the originators and leaders of the KLA, was convicted of terrorism in absentia by a Yugoslav court on 11 July 1997. Human Rights Watch subsequently described the trial, in which fourteen other Kosovo Albanians were also convicted, as "[failing] to conform to international standards." In 2008, the president of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, declared Pajaziti a Hero of Kosovo. He is commemorated by a statue on Mother Teresa Boulevard in Pristina.