Agim Shala
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Agim Avdi Shala | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Albanian “Tigri i Vërrinit” English “Tiger of Vërrin” |
| Born | September 18, 1975 |
| Died | 3 September 1998 (aged 22) |
| Allegiance |  Kosovo Liberation Army |
| Rank | Non-commissioned officer (NCO) |
| Unit | 125th Brigade |
| Known for | Fighting alongside his father and cousin |
| Conflicts | First Battle of Vërrin Second Battle of Vërrin † |
| Awards | Hero of Kosovo (posthumously) |
Agim Avdi Shala (September 18, 1975 – September 3, 1998) was a Kosovo Albanian commander that fought in the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The goal of the KLA was the independence of Kosovo from FR Yugoslavia. Agim Shala was killed in action during the second Battle of Vërrin.[1]
Shala was born on September 18, 1975, in the village of Jeshkove, Prizren, to an ethnic Albanian family which belonged to the Shala tribe.[1] He finished primary school in Hoča Zagradska. Agim Shala started high school in Prizren, at the "Gani Çavdërbasha" Technical School and construction branch.[1]
Yugoslav authorities began prosecuting Albanian activists, which led to the Shala family’s wealth to decline. This forced Agim to stop the lessons and take the path of Albanian nationalism.[1]
In 1993, Agim Shala left Ješkovo. To escape the arrests, and to earn money, he settled in Rome, Italy, together with Naser Berisha.[1]