During the night of April 1st and 2nd, 1999, a horrific event unfolded in Gjakova, impacting over sixty Albanian residents of the first neighborhood. Serbian forces perpetrated a systematic and brutal massacre, targeting men, women, and children. The residents were systematically shot and burned alive within the area, a scene of immense devastation.
The flames rising from the Veisa family home caused widespread shock among the city’s inhabitants. Machine guns unleashed relentless fire, and the house, along with its occupants – living and deceased – was consumed by flames. Twenty families, including the Veisa, Hoxha, Haxhiavdija, Caka, Gashi, and Nuçi families, had sought refuge in the House of Friendship, but tragically, they too perished in the inferno.
Furthermore, twenty families ascended into the sky with the flames consuming their bodies, representing a desperate plea for light and freedom. Simultaneously, four members of the Cana family and four from the Gercari family were also killed and burned alive alongside their homes. This devastating episode mirrored a similar occurrence on April 1st of the same year in the village of Lubenic near Pëja, occurring in the early morning hours.
The sheer scale of the violence and loss underscores the tragic fate of these Albanian residents.
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Twenty-seven years ago, the tragedy in Gjakovë and Lybeniq near Pejë occurred.