The Ambush near Kosovska Mitrovica (Serbian: Zaseda kod Kosovske Mitrovice) was an incident that occurred on 8 January 1999, when members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) ambushed a Yugoslav convoy carrying rations to troops stationed in a field near Kosovska Mitrovica. Later that evening, two columns of Yugoslav troops set off in the direction of Kosovska Mitrovica. The Yugoslav troops told journalists that they were heading toward the area where the captive troops were thought to be held.
Background
The pretext for the ambush was the shelling the village of Slapuzani by Yugoslav troops.
Incident
On 8 January, soldiers of the Kosovo Liberation Army attacked and ambushed a Yugoslav convoy heading for Kosovska Mitrovica. The KLA killed three Serb policemen, and captured eight other policemen. The Yugoslav army captured nine soldiers of the KLA.
Aftermath
The ambush led to renewed fighting in the Podujevo area. The KLA followed up the ambush with another attack on a Serbian police patrol near the village of Slivovo, killing one police officer. The village of Račak served as the staging area for these ambushes, resulting in a significant build up of Yugoslav Army forces and subsequent massacre on the village.