Authored by Petrit Latifi

“Ibalha, a large village, inhabited mainly by Muslims, is the capital of the Dukaghini district, in the Puka region. During the last Serbian invasion, Ibalha was sacked and burned, and its inhabitants massacred. It was only after the Austro-Hungarian occupation that the survivors of its former inhabitants, joined by survivors from other surrounding villages, who had suffered the same fate as Ibalha, ventured to return to what had been their village.

Under the protection of the Austro-Hungarian authorities, they rebuilt homes, a mosque, and a school for both sexes. Unfortunately, bad luck has once again befallen this unfortunate village. Last January, the school accidentally caught fire, we believe, and became engulfed in flames. For a town of such small size and already so cruelly affected, this is a loss that is difficult to repair; nevertheless, we do not despair of hearing one of these days that the good Ibalhassians succeeded in rebuilding their school for the third time in three years.”

References

https://www.strumski.com/books/m.d.skopiansky_atrocites_serbes.pdf

Albanie, n° 1/(12) du 25 avril 1918.
Albanie n” 3/(14) du 25 juin 1918