Sali Çekaj

Sali Çekaj (22 June 1956 – 19 April 1999) was a Kosovo Albanian commander of the Armed Force of Republic of Kosovo (FARK) and Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He was killed at the Battle of Košare on 19 April, 1999 during the fighting with Yugoslav forces. After the Kosovo War, he was declared Hero of Kosovo.[2]

Sali Çekaj was the first commander of the first-two military groups that had conducted military exercises between 1990 and 1991 in Albania. Part of those groups were also Adem Jashari and Zahir Pajaziti. Sali Çekaj since 1991 organized guerilla attacks on Serbian police stations in many villages in the Dukagjini region. He was also one of the main commanders of the Battle of Košare. He took part also at Battle of Lodja and several battles in the Dukagjini region during the Kosovo War. After his death, he was given the decoration Hero of Kosovo. He was also honored with "The Flag" of Capitol Hill as the National Hero of Kosovo with approval of US senators.

Sali Çekaj as the leader of first Dukagjini guerrilla military forces and with Adem Jashari as the leader of the Drenica region and Zahir Pajaziti the leader of Llapi region, co-operated in guerrilla attacks on Serbian police stations since 1992. Because of his paramilitary activity he had difficulty staying in Kosovo and was wanted by Serbian police. He was a graduated lawyer, a career military officer and he was the first lawyer in Kosovo who started the implementation of the "Kaçanik Constitution" in the institutions of Kosovo at that time. During the Kosovo War he had the nickname Veterani (the Veteran) because he was the first commander of the military groups in Kosovo.[3][4]