First Battle of Preševo
| First Battle of Preševo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II in Yugoslavia and the Insurgency in Karadak–Gollak | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Balli Kombëtar Nazi Germany | Yugoslav Partisans | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Jusuf Baftjari Xheladin Kurbaliu Sulë Hotla Rrustem Behluli Mulla Sadik Haliti Alexander Löhr | Abdullah Krašnica | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Karadak battalion Kachaks from Karadak 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg Heeresgruppe E |
8th Macedonian Brigade 12th Macedonian Brigade 17th Macedonian Brigade 18th Macedonian Brigade 2nd Kosovska Brigade 3rd Kosovska Brigade | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,000 men (begin of the battle, significantly more after arrival of volunteers) | 10,000 men | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy |
In Preševo: 1,500 killed or wounded (British report) In Lojane: 500 killed 117 Captured | ||||||
The First Battle of Preševo or Battle of Eid al-Fitr took place on Eid al-Fitr, from 18th to 24th September 1944 during World War II, between Yugoslav Partisans and Balli Kombëtar forces, in the territory of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. The battle is usually described as one of the largest during the entire Ballist movement in Kosovo and the surrounding area.