Draft:Battle of Runica

The Battle of Runica, occurred on 23 September 1944,

Prelude to the Battle
The events leading to the Battle of Runica included the continuation of earlier battles such as in Preševo and the battle of Lojane and Vaksince. On September 22, partisan forces clashed with the Ballist forces of Sylë Hotla near Vaksince and Lojane, who defeated the partisans and drove them towards Runica. The partisans under brigade commander Niko Vukčević, set Runica ablaze, executing dozens of inhabitants. The next day on 23 September, the partisans then burned houses in Glažnja and advanced towards Brest, where they again encountered Albanian Ballist forces led by Sylë Hotla, and were yet again forced to retreat towards Runica.

Battle
On the morning of 23 September 1944, partisan units entered Runica, again attacking the locals. In the first hours many villayers including women and children, were killed or wounded as the partisans set houses on fire. Civilians sought refuge from the destruction, and news of the atrocities spread to neighboring villages, prompting calls for assistance. A group of about forty men from Slupčane, led by Mulla Sadik Haliti, mobilized to confront the partisans. The Albanian fighters initially faced significant losses due to the partisans' strategic positioning above Runica. Mulla Sadik Haliti however managed to neutralize a machine gun position, turning the tide of the battle. The partisans were forced to retreat towards other villages, yet again encountering further resistance from Sylë Hotla's units.

Aftermath
The battle resulted in numerous casualties among the Albanian fighters, 9 of the Ballists were either killed or wounded. The fallen were buried in Slupčane