More than two decades after the Kosovo war, the fate of around 1,600 missing persons remains unresolved. State institutions are now urging families to provide DNA samples and for witnesses to come forward—regardless of their ethnicity or role during the conflict.
Bekim Gashi, whose mother and four sisters were murdered and disappeared during the March 1999 massacre in the village of Terrne in the Suhareka area, some 60 kilometres south of Kosovo’s capital, Prishtina, provided a “blood sample 15 years ago,” for their potential identification.
“My two brothers [currently living] in Switzerland [also provided samples], and even our uncles gave samples for our mother,” he told Prishtina Insight.
Serbian forces surrounded Terrne on the morning of March 25, 1999, the day after NATO launched air strikes on Yugoslavia aimed at forcing President Slobodan Milosevic to end his military campaign in Kosovo.
Twenty seven people, including the elderly and a four-year-old boy, were killed by Serbian forces during the attack on Terrne.
Watching from a small window of the attic of his house, Gashi, then 23, saw how the Serbian soldiers took all the civilians outside the house and shot at them. One by one, his mother and four sisters fell to the ground under the onslaught of bullets.
Blerta, who was 14, was the youngest of his murdered sisters, but the very youngest person to die that day was his nephew, who was just 14 months old.
Nonetheless, 26 years since the massacre and 10 years since the Gashi brothers provided their blood for DNA analysis, their mother’s and their sisters’ remains have still not been found.
The Gashi brothers are among the family members of around 1,600 people who disappeared during the 1998-99 Kosovo war and whose remains have not yet been found and identified.
Kosovo institutions have called on the families of missing war victims to provide DNA samples and urged witnesses of war crimes, including witnesses of burial sites, to come forward regardless of their ethnicity or involvement. Kosovo authorities claim to ensure anonymity and legal protection for those willing to share what they know, including those who helped bury bodies or transport remains.
For too long, the state has neglected its responsibility and overlooked the trauma of the families of the missing and their post-war psychological and social needs—something it is now facing widespread criticism for.
Ilir Morina, a prosecutor investigating war crimes in Kosovo, stresses that these efforts must be inclusive, stating that “regardless of ethnicity, I urge everyone to submit a DNA or blood sample to the proper authorities. These tools are essential for us to proceed [with identification] when remains or bones are discovered.”
However, many of the family members of the Kosovo war missing hesitate to cooperate because of decades without any news on the fate of their loved ones, as well as because of past identification errors.
Importance of blood samples

Illustration. Blood samples. Photo: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
In the immediate aftermath of the 1998-99 Kosovo war, errors in the identification of war victims led to tragic cases where families buried individuals who were not their own. This led many to be hesitant about providing DNA samples.
Prosecutor Morina told Prishtina Insight that “there are two or three cases where we have encountered resistance from relatives or citizens to provide these [DNA] samples and this makes our work very difficult.”
Emphasizing the importance of providing DNA samples, Morina recalled that “we had a case in the Peja region where for 25 years, families believed their loved ones were buried in a specific location. Only after conducting DNA analysis did we realise we had to reassign burial locations because one of the individuals had been wrongly identified.”
The Kosovo Institute of Forensic, IML, and the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo emphasise the vital importance of providing blood samples for DNA identification.
Ditor Haliti, from the IML, told Prishtina Insight that “providing blood samples allows us to scientifically identify the remains of victims. After [the sample] is provided, a DNA profile is created and entered into our system.”
He explained that, “these samples are then sent to the laboratory of the International Commission on Missing Persons, ICMP, in The Hague. The process of matching bone and blood samples can take up to six months, or even longer in cases where technical difficulties delay DNA extraction.”
Witnesses crucial for finding missing persons

Experts and family representatives observe excavations near the Stavalj mine, May 31, 2022. Photo: Kosovo Government Commission on Missing Persons.
Kosovo authorities clarify that not all involvement leads to criminal liability and urges witnesses of war crimes to come forward, particularly those who may have transported or buried bodies, worked in hospitals, or cleaned up crime scenes during the war.
“People can report having participated in burials or exhumations,” prosecutor Morina stated. “This kind of information is important, even if they were simply following orders or working in a non-combat role.”
Florim Elshani from the Kosovo Police highlights how such testimony has led to major breakthroughs, including the discovery of mass graves.
“All state apparatus are able to ensure the anonymity and safety of witnesses,” Elshani affirms.
One critical example was the Izbica case, where a witness who participated in the burial of victims came forward.
“Although he knew nothing about the killings themselves, his testimony as a post-massacre eyewitness was pivotal to the case, which has since led to a conviction in the court of first instance.”
In another case, a mass grave in the village of Suhodoll in Mitrovica, was located thanks to the testimony of truck drivers who had unknowingly helped transport bodies during the war.
Prosecutor Morina also cites the case of two citizens from Istog who were ordered to move corpses during the Kosovo war.
“They testified voluntarily. They were not arrested because there was no criminal intent on their part. The information [they provided] was essential.”
English version prepared by Ardita Zeqiri.