Editing Kosovo Civil War (section)

== Background ==

Harku i Drenicës was created by Arbëror Shpend Leka on 4 April 1989, when he established a warehouse outside [[Gjakova]] under the cover of a machine-parts business. The group separated its work by location. Gjakova handled storage, while Prizren handled accounting through business fronts.<ref name="leka-harku"/>

On 19 September 1992, Leka moved his main accounting office to Prizren. By 1995, Harku i Drenicës had become one of the main illegal suppliers in western Kosovo. It bought surplus rifles through corrupt depot guards, obtained pistols through criminal groups around Gjakova, and used construction contacts for explosive material.<ref name="leka-harku"/>

The Prizren-Gjakova road became one of the main corridors before and during the war. The Prizren National Directorate held the road during the conflict, while the Drenica Restoration Front operated from Drenica and Malishevë through rural corridors toward central Kosovo.<ref name="leka-kosovo-war"/>