Bashkim Jashari

Bashkim Jashari (born November 15, 1977) is a Kosovan Albanian three-star general, who has served as the Commander in Chief of the Kosovo Security Force since 30 November 2021. He is also concurrently a member of the Security Council of Kosovo.

Bashkim Jashari
Lt. Gen. Bashkim Jashari
Commander of Kosovo Security Force
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 November 2021
President	Vjosa Osmani
Ministry of Defence	Ejup Maqedonci
Preceded by	Rrahman Rama
Personal details
Born	(1977-11-15) 15 November 1977 (age 47) Prekaz i Poshtëm, Skenderaj, SAP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo)
Nationality	Kosovar Albanian
Alma mater	University of Prishtina
Profession	Military officer
Awards
Military service
Allegiance	Kosovo
Branch/service	Kosovo Liberation Army Kosovo Protection Corps Kosovo Security Force
Years of service	1998–1999, 1999–2009, 2009–present
Rank	Lieutenant General
Battles/wars	Kosovo War

Biography

Bashkim Jashari was born on November 15, 1977, in the Prekaz i Poshtëm village in the Skenderaj municipality in Kosovo. The nephew of Adem Jashari. Like the entire Jashari family, Bashkim Jashari descends from the Kuçi tribe (fis).^[1] Bashkim Jashari joined the ranks of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in early 1998. On March 5–7, 1998, the Jashari family compound was attacked by the Special Anti-Terrorism Unit of Serbia, with the goal of eliminating KLA suspects and their families.^[2][3] Jashari was one of the two survivors of the massacre, along his cousin Besarta Jashari. He fought until March 7, 1998, and managed to get out of the compound, where 60 members of his family were killed. After the Attack on Prekaz, Jashari continued to serve in the KLA and served as deputy commander of the First Operative Zone, in Drenica.

After the end of the Kosovo War and the dissolution of the KLA, Jashari joined the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). In 1999 he was appointed deputy commander of the First Defense Zone, and in June 2001 his position was upgraded to commander of that zone. He remained a member of KPC until its dissolution in 2009.

Jashari joined the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in January 2009, being in the first batch of recruits of the new army. At the same time, he joined the Kosovo Ministry of Defense and served as the inspector general of the KSF. In March 2018, Jashari's rank was upgraded to the two-star Major General. In November 2021 he was appointed commander of the KSF and his rank was upgraded to a three-star Lieutenant General by President Vjosa Osmani.

Jashari graduated from the "Spiro Moisiu" Defense Academy in Albania and he additionally holds a degree in law from the University of Prishtina. He is married and has four children.

Medals and Honors

• (2008) The “Presidential Military Medal” from the President of the Republic of Kosovo.