The XXV Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army was formed in Tropoja. It was formed with partisans of the “Bajram Curri” and “Rinia” battalions, the territorial battalion and the territorial detachments of the Highlands of Gjakova and Hasi. On the day of the inauguration, there were 700 partisans lined up in 3 battalions. From the very first days, the brigade worked to clear the area of Plava and Gucia from the Nazi forces. On November 18, it was assigned to the V Assault Division. From November 21 to 25, in cooperation with the VI Assault Brigade, it fought against the German forces and the Bajraktar forces concentrated in Nikaj-Mërtur and Dukagjin. These battles ended with the liberation of these provinces on November 25. After crossing the state border, on November 28, the XXV Assault Brigade settled in the city of Gjakova, where it increased its strength with 550 new partisans, of which 200 were from Hasan and 350 were from Kosovo. On November 29–30, 1944, the XXV Assault Brigade made a long march of 80 km from Gjakova to Ferizaj, to the aid of the 2nd Yugoslav Brigade, which, together with its headquarters, was surrounded in Ferizaj and, after liberating this city and the surrounding villages, together with other forces of the V Assault Division, marched to Sanjak and Southern Bosnia. On 30.12.1944, the XXV Brigade entered combat on the Miloshendoll-Mali i Judovik-Sopotnica-Stojan-Gvost front, where it replaced the III Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army. For 14 consecutive days, in a severe winter, it fought non-stop battles against the German fascists and, in cooperation with the 5th Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army and units of the II Corps of the Yugoslav National Liberation Army, liberated the city of Priepolje and the surrounding villages. In these battles, the brigade caused significant damage to the enemy in terms of people, weapons and war material. In May 1945, in Mitrovica, Kosovo, by order of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, the XXV Brigade was lined up in the composition of the V Assault Brigade of the V Assault Division and the VI Assault Brigade and the XXII Assault Brigade of the VI Assault Division. . The brigade was led by the headquarters with commander Veli Nimani Doçi. The organ “Luftëtari i Lirisë” (“The freedom warrior”)was published. (In the photo: Partisans of the XXV Brigade.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 308.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
