Bekim Berisha

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Bekim Berisha (Croatian: Bekim Beriša) (15 June 1966 – 10 August 1998) was a Kosovo Albanian soldier who fought in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. He was born in Graboc near Pejë and grew up in Kosovo. He lived in Croatia and the Netherlands for a time, studied veterinary science in Zagreb, and kept his interest in military matters.

In 1991 he returned to Croatia to volunteer in the Croatian National Guard, joining the 57th Independent Battalion in Sisak. He fought on the front lines around Donje Komarevo and Gornje Komarevo and took part in battles in eastern Slavonia. He later fought in the Bosnian War during Operation Corridor 92, where he was seriously wounded by six bullets in 1992 but returned to the front after healing.

In 1998 Berisha shifted his focus to Kosovo, supporting the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He crossed into Kosovo from Albania with other militants, helped organize and train recruits, and settled in Açarevë in the Drenica valley. He then moved to Glogjan and joined Ramush Haradinaj’s forces to defend the village against Serbian police, later helping lead operations in Junik, a key KLA stronghold.

During the Battle of Junik in 1998, Berisha urged reorganizing the KLA for a larger offensive. On 10 August 1998, after his ally Bedri Shala was badly wounded, Berisha led a group in hit-and-run attacks against Yugoslav forces. A Yugoslav tank fired and killed Berisha, who died that day along with several comrades. He was buried in Junik and later reburied in his hometown of Graboc. He was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General by the Kosovo Protection Corps.

Berisha is remembered in Kosovo with streets and institutions named after him. In 2010 he was awarded the title Hero of Kosovo. Croatia also recognized his service with honors, including the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski (awarded twice) and the Order of the Croatian Cross (awarded posthumously in 2013).