On November 25, 1912, the Serbian army led by General Metovic invaded Albanian territories and arrived at Elbasan a few days later. The Albanian locals, numbering 300-400 men, armed themselves and placed themselves on the forst of Gjyrales, Shalsi, Valas and Broshke. The Albanian commander of Dumrese was Sul Zdrava from the village of Desiran, along side Hasan Dyle, Abas Bali and Metan Tafani. The Serbian army was blocked from entering the city and turned to Malasej instead. The Serbian forces stayed until March 1913, trying to find different routes. Meanwhile, the Serbian troops massacred civilians, and burned villages, particularly in the village of Sulova, where the Metushi tribe lived.

Albanians from Dumre and Sulova began gathering forces with those of Vërca, Shpati and Darsija of Peqin under the leadership of Çeç Cërrik, Beqo Gjin from Sulova, Hasan Hysa, Musa Cakan and Dervish Plaka from Shpati.

The Serbian troops decided to attack the region of Belshi and opened canon fire at the hills of Shalsi, Cerriku and Xibrake. The Albanians opened fire and many Serbs were killed, resulting in more Albanian civilians being killed in the region of Xibrake and Allajbek. It was reported that the Serbian soldiers killed dogs too. The Serbian troops placed mortar canons at the Hill of Monre, and bombarded the villages towards Belsh, and killed many civilians in Shale. Several neighborhoods were ransacked, burned and destroyed and the men arrested and shot. 200 were captured. According to survivors, the following day the Serbian troops dug a hole and began massacring the Albanian civilians by piercing them with bayonets and knifes. Anyone who was still alive was shot. The two survivors, Isuf Sulejman Dervishi and Hasan Beyte Sina, said: “When the soldiers came to check if anyone was alive, we played dead”. A total of 100 Albanians were massacred.

References

1. MASAKRA E USHSTRIS SERBE NE BELSH TE DUMRESE. “Dr. Shefqet Hysa”. 2017.
2. Historitë e masakrave serbe në Dumre dhe Sulovë. Pëllumb Gorica. https://www.ballikombetar.info/historite-e-masakrave-serbe-ne-dumre-dhe-sulove/