Between 17 and 20 July 1998 there was an armed conflict in Orahovac in western Kosovo between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav police and army.
This was KLA's first attack on a city.
Up until then the KLA had fought only in villages where it enjoyed strong support of locals.
It came after the KLA's transformation from a terrorist group to a guerrilla force leading an uprising against Serbian rule in the west and northwest of Kosovo in spring 1998.
In late June, after setting up roadblocks around urban centres, the KLA controlled over 50% of Kosovo territory.
The Yugoslav authorities concentrated on guarding the cities and towns and their communication links instead of attempting to counter the spreading of KLA.
In order to assert authority for the Kosovo Albanian provisional government, the KLA needed to capture a town, and accordingly attacked Orahovac.
It was very thoroughly prepared.
There were no Yugoslav troops in Orahovac, while the population was 80% Albanian.
The KLA had in the preceding days deployed troops in nearby villages from their base at Mališevo.
Some took the situation seriously, the mayor having spoke to daily Politika Ekspres about expecting a "major terrorist attack".
Many locals had their women and children evacuated before the attack.
The takeover would give the KLA major strategic advantage as it would form a corridor between Drenica (the KLA hotbed) and the Yugoslav–Albanian border region in the southwest.

The attack began on Friday, 17 July, with simultaneous attacks on the town's strategic objects (police headquarters, post office, hospital and hotel).
The fighting was most intense on 18 July.
The KLA abducted 85 ethnic Serbs during the offensive.
Around 60 KLA fighters and two police officers were killed.
Five Serb civilians were killed in Orahovac during the attack, while another forty of the abducted are presumed to have been murdered.

Simultaneously with the attack, the KLA attacked neighbouring Serb villages.
Serb civilians were expelled from villages Opteruša and Retimlje.
With light artillery and machine guns, the KLA attacked for 45 minutes the Zočište Monastery where thirty elderly Serbs had taken shelter, together with seven monks and a nun, and damaged the communal house with two grenades.
Local Serbs told HRW that the monks resisted with four rifles for two hours before giving up.
The KLA took everyone in the monastery to a school in nearby Semetište.
Of the abducted Serbs, 35 were subsequently released on 22 July, and another ten on the night of 29–30 July.
The fate of the other estimated forty abductees was unknown as of 2001.
In 2005 remains of 47 victims were excavated in two mass graves.

The KLA had been decisively defeated, with considerable losses.
They were later pushed out across Mališevo.

Journalists were allowed into the town on 22 July, reporting that 15 buildings had been destroyed, most of the population had left and homes and shops had been looted.
Between 17 and 20 July 1998 there was an armed conflict in Orahovac in western Kosovo between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav police and army. This was KLA's first attack on a city. Up until then the KLA had fought only in villages where it enjoyed strong support of locals. It came after the KLA's transformation from a terrorist group to a guerrilla force leading an uprising against Serbian rule in the west and northwest of Kosovo in spring 1998. In late June, after setting up roadblocks around urban centres, the KLA controlled over 50% of Kosovo territory. The Yugoslav authorities concentrated on guarding the cities and towns and their communication links instead of attempting to counter the spreading of KLA. In order to assert authority for the Kosovo Albanian provisional government, the KLA needed to capture a town, and accordingly attacked Orahovac. It was very thoroughly prepared. There were no Yugoslav troops in Orahovac, while the population was 80% Albanian. The KLA had in the preceding days deployed troops in nearby villages from their base at Mališevo. Some took the situation seriously, the mayor having spoke to daily Politika Ekspres about expecting a "major terrorist attack". Many locals had their women and children evacuated before the attack. The takeover would give the KLA major strategic advantage as it would form a corridor between Drenica (the KLA hotbed) and the Yugoslav–Albanian border region in the southwest.
The attack began on Friday, 17 July, with simultaneous attacks on the town's strategic objects (police headquarters, post office, hospital and hotel). The fighting was most intense on 18 July. The KLA abducted 85 ethnic Serbs during the offensive. Around 60 KLA fighters and two police officers were killed. Five Serb civilians were killed in Orahovac during the attack, while another forty of the abducted are presumed to have been murdered.
Simultaneously with the attack, the KLA attacked neighbouring Serb villages. Serb civilians were expelled from villages Opteruša and Retimlje. With light artillery and machine guns, the KLA attacked for 45 minutes the Zočište Monastery where thirty elderly Serbs had taken shelter, together with seven monks and a nun, and damaged the communal house with two grenades. Local Serbs told HRW that the monks resisted with four rifles for two hours before giving up. The KLA took everyone in the monastery to a school in nearby Semetište. Of the abducted Serbs, 35 were subsequently released on 22 July, and another ten on the night of 29–30 July. The fate of the other estimated forty abductees was unknown as of 2001. In 2005 remains of 47 victims were excavated in two mass graves.
The KLA had been decisively defeated, with considerable losses. They were later pushed out across Mališevo.
Journalists were allowed into the town on 22 July, reporting that 15 buildings had been destroyed, most of the population had left and homes and shops had been looted.
Attack on Orahovac