Halit Coka: The Albanian from Kukës Who Left Greece to Fight for Kosovo’s Freedom
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Halit Riza Coka abandoned his life as an emigrant in Greece to join the Kosovo Liberation Army. He was killed in April 1999 in Ratishë e Epërme, becoming one of the Albanian volunteers from Albania who gave their lives for Kosovo’s freedom.
Halit Riza Coka was among the Albanian fighters who travelled to Kosovo to join the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the 1998–1999 war. Having spent several years working in Greece, he chose to leave behind his life abroad and take part in the armed struggle against Serbian forces.
Born on July 25, 1974, in the village of Arrën, Kukës, Halit was the son of Riza and Fatmire Coka. His family later moved to Bathore, near Tirana, while he completed his education in Shkodër.
Like many young Albanians during the difficult years following the collapse of communism, he emigrated in search of better opportunities. From 1992 onward, he worked in Greece. However, as the conflict in Kosovo escalated and Serbian military operations intensified against the Albanian population, he made a decision that would define the rest of his life: he would return and join the fight.
From Greece to the ranks of the KLA
In January 1999, Coka returned to Kukës and began seeking assistance to cross into Kosovo and reach KLA units operating in the region.
He set out with his two cousins, Sami and Imer Coka, determined to join the resistance. On January 20, 1999, he was mobilized in Vlanë, in the Has area, before reaching Kosovo on February 24.
He joined the 134th Brigade, named after Bedri Shala, which operated within the Dukagjin Operational Zone.
During his service, Coka took part in several guerrilla operations and direct engagements with Serbian forces. His courage and military capabilities earned him an appointment as deputy commander of the Kobra Special Unit.
A fighter determined not to retreat
One of the positions where Coka fought was on the front line in Ratishë e Epërme, in the direction of the Dodaj neighbourhood. There, he had established a fortified defensive position.
Accounts preserved about his life recount an exchange with an elderly local resident who reportedly asked why he had not left an escape route in case his position came under attack.
Coka's reported response was that he had not come to Kosovo to retreat, but to fight.
The story has since become part of the accounts surrounding his determination and commitment to the cause.
Killed in the fighting in Ratishë e Epërme
In the spring of 1999, during intense fighting in Ratishë e Epërme, in the municipality of Deçan, Halit Coka was fatally shot in the head.
Biographical records give April 3, 1999, as the date of his death. A Kosovapress report published on May 5, 1999, announced that he had been buried with military honours.
His body was initially laid to rest in Maznik. On August 24, 1999, his remains were transferred to the National Martyrs' Cemetery in Gllogjan, where he was reburied among those who lost their lives during the war.
He was only 24 years old.
From Kukës to Kosovo: A sacrifice remembered
Halit Coka's story represents the contribution made by volunteers from Albania who crossed the border to support Kosovo's struggle for freedom.
He was born and raised in Albania, had worked as an emigrant in Greece and could have continued building his future far from the battlefield. Instead, he chose to join the KLA and fight alongside those defending Kosovo.
His name remains associated with the 134th Brigade “Bedri Shala,” the Kobra Special Unit and the battles fought in the Dukagjin region.
He left Greece for Kosovo, and in the land he had chosen to defend, he gave his life. His sacrifice remains part of the shared historical memory of Albania and Kosovo.