Paracin massacre
Encyclopedia
The Paraćin massacre was the murder of 4 people and injury of 5, in the military barracks in Paraćin
, Yugoslavia
on September 3, 1987 by Aziz Kelmendi
, a 19-year old Kosovo Albanian, who was a conscript in the Yugoslav People's Army
. Kelmendi shot an AK-47
in two sleeping rooms, then fled and committed suicide. The motive was Albanian nationalism
.
(Serbian: Azis Keljmendi, Азис Кељменди) was born on January 15, 1967 in Lipljan, SAP Kosovo
, SR Serbia. His family lived in Dušanovo
. He completed school in Prizren
. In 1983 he was sentenced to prison for 15 days after trying to escape to Albania
and after behaving nationalistic in high school and university. He disliked the learning of the Serbo-Croatian language. In 1984, he became a member of the Communist party. At the Faculty of Law at the University of Priština, he completed two semesters and passed six examinations with solid grades. After the completion of military drill in MP5300 in Leskovac
, Serbia, he was moved to MP7518 in Paraćin.
He was described as a loner
, he had complex
es because he thought he was ugly, and was quite a nervous
person. Sometimes he had aggressive
reactions. He socialized mostly with ethnic Albanians
and had strong nationalistic views. Kelmendi had two confrontations with Dudaković, one of the victims, prior to the massacre.
n town of Paraćin
, then in Yugoslavia
.
rifle with 10 7.62x39mm rounds and heads to a guard post where corporal Riza Alibašić has watch. He takes two rounds of ammunition and points his rifle at Alibašić, threatening to kill him. Kelmendi takes him to the living facilities and asks where Dudaković is sleeping, he refuses to answer and Kelmendi enters a sleeping room where he finds Dudaković, he opens fire killing Dudaković and then sprays shots that kill Simić and Begić and wounds two others. He enters the second room and kills Dženanović and wounds two others. He flees the military base and around 8:00 AM he was found dead 1 kilometer from the base on the Karađorđevo hill, where he committed suicide.
9 casualties resulted, of which 4 died:
Rizah Xhakli said to the others that they had to help Kelmendi, because "he would be seen as a hero and a statue would be erected in Prizren". On September 2, at 9:00 PM, Kelmendi meets with the accused accomplices with whom he decides that he will kill the following day.
Rizah Xhakli woke only the Albanians in the rooms prior to the attack. They gave him ammunition. Alibašić lied in the witnessing. They all said Kelmendi had strong nationalistic views of an Albanian Kosovo.
Paracin
Paraćin is a town and municipality in Serbia, located in the valley of the Velika Morava river, north of Kruševac and southeast of Kragujevac. In 2011 the town has total population of 24,573 and it has a civil airport, also known as Davidovac Airport....
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
on September 3, 1987 by Aziz Kelmendi
Aziz Kelmendi
Aziz Kelmendi was a Faculty of Law regular student at the University of Priština. An ethnic Albanian, he had been serving as a Yugoslav People's Army soldier...
, a 19-year old Kosovo Albanian, who was a conscript in the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
. Kelmendi shot an AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
in two sleeping rooms, then fled and committed suicide. The motive was Albanian nationalism
Albanian nationalism
Albanian nationalism is a general grouping of nationalist ideas and concepts among ethnic Albanians that were first formed in the beginning of 19th century in what was called the Albanian National Awakening...
.
Perpetrator
Aziz KelmendiAziz Kelmendi
Aziz Kelmendi was a Faculty of Law regular student at the University of Priština. An ethnic Albanian, he had been serving as a Yugoslav People's Army soldier...
(Serbian: Azis Keljmendi, Азис Кељменди) was born on January 15, 1967 in Lipljan, SAP Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, SR Serbia. His family lived in Dušanovo
Dušanovo
Dušanovo is a village in the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 236 people.-References:...
. He completed school in Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
. In 1983 he was sentenced to prison for 15 days after trying to escape to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and after behaving nationalistic in high school and university. He disliked the learning of the Serbo-Croatian language. In 1984, he became a member of the Communist party. At the Faculty of Law at the University of Priština, he completed two semesters and passed six examinations with solid grades. After the completion of military drill in MP5300 in Leskovac
Leskovac
Leskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
, Serbia, he was moved to MP7518 in Paraćin.
He was described as a loner
Loner
A loner is a person who avoids or does not actively seek human interaction or prefers to be alone. There are many reasons for solitude, intentional or otherwise, and "loner" implies no specific cause. Intentional reasons include spiritual and religious considerations or personal philosophies...
, he had complex
Complex (psychology)
A complex is a core pattern of emotions, memories, perceptions, and wishes in the personal unconscious organized around a common theme, such as power or status...
es because he thought he was ugly, and was quite a nervous
Nervous
Nervous may refer to:* The nervous system* "Nervous" , a rockabilly/doo-wop song first recorded by Gene Summers and His Rebels in 1958* Nervous Records, a UK record label* Nervous Records , a US record label-See also:...
person. Sometimes he had aggressive
Aggressive
“Aggressive” is a New York-based Grammy award-winning music video and commercial directing team of Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro.Aggressive has been described by Movie Creation Mag as “having a fascination with the wonderful, in the likes of the surrealist Rafal Olbinski” and “tenacious about...
reactions. He socialized mostly with ethnic Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
and had strong nationalistic views. Kelmendi had two confrontations with Dudaković, one of the victims, prior to the massacre.
Event
It took place in a compound of the Branko Krsmanović military barracks in the central-SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n town of Paraćin
Paracin
Paraćin is a town and municipality in Serbia, located in the valley of the Velika Morava river, north of Kruševac and southeast of Kragujevac. In 2011 the town has total population of 24,573 and it has a civil airport, also known as Davidovac Airport....
, then in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Report
At morning at dawn September 3, 1987 (a month left of his time), Kelmendi load his Automatic Zastava M70Zastava M70
The Zastava M70 is a 7.62mm assault rifle developed in Yugoslavia by Zastava Arms. The M70 was designed on the basis of the AKM and became the standard issue assault rifle in the Yugoslav People's Army in 1970. The M70 is air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire rifle...
rifle with 10 7.62x39mm rounds and heads to a guard post where corporal Riza Alibašić has watch. He takes two rounds of ammunition and points his rifle at Alibašić, threatening to kill him. Kelmendi takes him to the living facilities and asks where Dudaković is sleeping, he refuses to answer and Kelmendi enters a sleeping room where he finds Dudaković, he opens fire killing Dudaković and then sprays shots that kill Simić and Begić and wounds two others. He enters the second room and kills Dženanović and wounds two others. He flees the military base and around 8:00 AM he was found dead 1 kilometer from the base on the Karađorđevo hill, where he committed suicide.
9 casualties resulted, of which 4 died:
- Safet Dudaković
- Hasim Dženanović
- Goran Begić
- Srđan Simić
Investigation
The investigation discovered that 8 people had "helped" Kelmendi through encouraging the act and will of Kelmendi. 8 men were accused as accomplices (imprisonment in years):- Rizah Xhakli, Kosovo-Albanian (20)
- Abdilxhemil Alimani, Kosovo-Albanian (20)
- Afrem Mehmeti, Kosovo-Albanian (13)
- Pajazit Aliu, Kosovo-Albanian (13)
- Shefqet Paqarizi, Kosovo-Albanian (7)
- Enver Beluli, Kosovo-Albanian (5-1/5)
- Riza Alibašić, A Bosniak from Kosovo (14)
- Islam Mahmuti, An Albanian Roma from Kosovo (2)
Rizah Xhakli said to the others that they had to help Kelmendi, because "he would be seen as a hero and a statue would be erected in Prizren". On September 2, at 9:00 PM, Kelmendi meets with the accused accomplices with whom he decides that he will kill the following day.
Rizah Xhakli woke only the Albanians in the rooms prior to the attack. They gave him ammunition. Alibašić lied in the witnessing. They all said Kelmendi had strong nationalistic views of an Albanian Kosovo.