{"id":210846,"date":"2026-05-27T14:50:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:50:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/?p=210846"},"modified":"2026-05-27T14:54:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:54:04","slug":"27-years-since-the-battle-of-pastrik-the-night-when-serbian-heroes-crushed-natos-arrow-and-the-terrorist-kla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/27-years-since-the-battle-of-pastrik-the-night-when-serbian-heroes-crushed-natos-arrow-and-the-terrorist-kla\/","title":{"rendered":"27 YEARS SINCE THE BATTLE OF PA\u0160TRIK: The night when Serbian heroes crushed NATO’s “Arrow” and the terrorist KLA!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Mount Pa\u0161trik on the Yugoslav-Albanian border, until 1999, apart from the residents of Prizren and their neighbors, only rare geographers, mountaineers, and former border guards who stayed at the watchtowers knew. The battle fought on its slopes 26 years ago, the heroic resistance of the Army of Yugoslavia, and the scale of the force they faced, bravely and decisively, made this mountain an almost mythical place of defense for Kosovo and Metohija.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the Battle of Ko\u0161are, Pa\u0161trik is considered the place of the most agonizing battles that the defenders fought with Albanian terrorists. As opponents, they had the joint forces of NATO, foreign mercenaries, KLA terrorists, and the regular army of Albania, which is still rarely talked about today. All of them, gathered around the same task \u2013 the conquest of Kosovo and Metohija \u2013 launched a major military operation “Arrow” on May 26, 1999, the goal of which was a ground incursion into the FRY, cutting off the Prizren \u2013 \u0110akovica communication, and passage into the depth of the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mount Pa\u0161trik is the place where the command was issued that became the common oath of all defenders of Kosovo and Metohija in 1999 \u2013 “There is no going back, Serbia is behind us.” Believing in the strength of this motto, the Army fought heroically. This is also evidenced by the casualties \u2013 in operation “Arrow”, the 549th Motorized Brigade, which held the position on this part of the border, had 25 killed and about 200 wounded fighters. In the brigade’s zone, a total of 87 officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers were killed, and 300 were wounded and injured. The ferocity of the battles, especially during the NATO air strikes, is also evidenced by the fact that dozens of fighters were injured, even though they were not exposed to direct missile hits at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation “Arrow” began in the early morning of May 26 with an attack on the front between the \u0106afa Pru\u0161it and Liken watchtowers. That is when Albanian tanks appeared, and Serbian positions were pelted with mortar and howitzer fire. With this offensive, the enemy tried to mask the main direction of the offensive across the Goro\u017eup watchtower. In the direction of the main attack, the VJ had only 400 people, of which half were on the front line. They were stretched along a six-kilometer-long line. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that around 5,000 terrorists were staying near the border at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commander of the 549th Motorized Brigade, decorated with the ribbon of the Order of the People’s Hero, retired General Bo\u017eidar Deli\u0107, emphasizes that the defenders quickly consolidated in protecting their positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As there was not enough manpower, I ordered every unit to form one company of 150 to 200 people. The armored battalion did this as well, tank crewmen became infantrymen. The artillerymen too. A company was formed even by the Rear Battalion, composed of cooks and technicians. They all took rifles in their hands and headed to Pa\u0161trik into battle. Already by the evening, there were about 1,000 of us there,” recalls the first days of the offensive General Deli\u0107, who was a colonel at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of the attack, the Goro\u017eup watchtower found itself surrounded, and an order was issued to abandon it. Just a few hours later, the defenders consolidated and, virtually without orders from higher command, retook the watchtower, which was even recorded by television cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main support for the terrorists came from the American military. The north of Albania was the base of NATO forces in those days. At the “Rinas” airport was the center of air support for the offensive. During the battles on Pa\u0161trik, evacuations were carried out by “Chinook” helicopters, and American instructors and strategists were also in the chain of command. The Americans would take over the main role a few days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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