Lefter Koxhaj (22 September 1969 – 7 August 2001), better known as Komandant Teli, was an Albanian commander of the National Liberation Army. He was one of the most important commanders in the NLA having the command over the Skënderbeu special unit.
Biography
Early life
Lefter Koxhaj was born in the village Nishovë in the Skrapar District on the 22 September 1969.[1] Due to contradictory sources, there is not much not known about his life before the involvement in the wars. It is known that he emigrated to Greece where he worked in Creta, Athens and Thessaloniki.[2] According to some claims, he was part of a criminal group during the 1997 Albanian civil unrest.[1] He was later searched from Interpol on red notice for robberies and murder in Greece.[1]
Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
Koxhaj became part of the UÇPMB during the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley.[2] There he made his first war experiences.[3]
Insurgency in Macedonia
When the insurgency in Macedonia started, Koxhaj immediately became part of the NLA under the name Lefter Bicaj. He became the commander of the special unit Skenderbeu. He fought in several battles. On the 7 August 2001 he was killed in the Skopje police raid with four other NLA militants.[4][3][5] The raid was carried out by the Special Operations Unit "Tigers" who were exactly informed about the location of Koxhaj in Gazi Baba, Skopje.[1][6][3]
References
- ^ a b c d "21 vite nga rënia e komandant Telit, djali: Bashkë me shokët shkruat historinë". TetovaSot (in Albanian). 7 September 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Lefter Lutfi Koxhaj (22.9.1969 – 7.8.2001)". Radio Kosova e Lire (in Albanian).
- ^ a b c "Дали Охридскиот договор спречи граѓанска војна?". Civil Media (in Macedonian). 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Macedonia rebels killed in raid". CNN. 7 August 2001.
SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Five ethnic Albanian rebels have been killed in a police raid to seize illegal weapons, Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski has said.
- ^ "Macedonian Police Kill 5 Albanian Rebels". NY Times. Associated Press. 8 August 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
Police officers killed five Macedonian Albanian rebels today and seized illegal weapons in a raid that the interior minister said was intended to avert an attack on the capital, Skopje.
- ^ "22 vjet nga vrasja tinëzare e komandant Telit dhe bashkëluftëtarëve të tij në Gazi Babë të Shkupit". ina-online.net (in Albanian). 7 August 2023.