Battle of Vaikal The Battle of Vaikal occurred in April 1465 in the valley of Vaikal , southeastern Albania . A new Ottoman sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Ohrid , Ballaban Badera ( of Albanian origin ) , was sent by Sultan Mehmed II to inflict heavy losses on the Albanian forces . Skanderbeg had been prepared for the battle and prepared his troops for a plan of action . This worked well until some of Skanderbeg ' s officers did not follow orders to stop chasing the Ottoman forces and were captured along with their men . The officers were sent back to Constantinople where they were tortured and executed and their bodies were thrown to the dogs . Background and prelude . The Sultan Mehmed II gave Ballaban Badera , who was a sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Ohrid , the reins of the Ottoman campaigns in Albania . Ballaban had been a peasant in Skanderbeg ' s paternal domains who was raised through the devsirme to become a Janissary for the Sultan , much like Skanderbeg . Ballaban was wary of his own defeat so he presented Skanderbeg with a series of gifts so that if the Ottoman commander was captured , the Albanian chieftain would have enough mercy to spare him . Ballaban had known Skanderbeg when they were both in the Ottoman court , but the former had always held great animosity towards the latter . Ballaban always tried to come off as Skanderbeg ' s personal friend and ally , but he was always ready for the moment to assault him . Once he learned that Skanderbeg had been camped in Vaikal with 4 , 500 men , Ballaban began his campaign to defeat Skanderbeg . Battle - plan . Skanderbeg had been waiting for an Ottoman assault and exhorted to his troops to constantly be prepared . The day before the battle , he explained the warriors ' plan of action . He planned to trick the Ottomans into thinking that his forces were too weak and too frightened to fight . When the Ottomans were finally lured into both the valley and a false sense of security , the Albanian warriors would pounce on them . The Ottoman forces would then be chased all the way up to the hills and the Albanians would stop there to avoid a counterattack . Battle . The next day Ballaban came past the hills but , unexpectedly , charged at Skanderbeg ' s forces with great speed and fury . Skanderbeg allowed them to get near him and then he launched his own counterattack . A bloody battle soon followed with heavy casualties on both sides , but the Albanians managed to hold their ground and soon , the frightened Ottoman soldiers began to flee . As commanded , the Albanians pursued them up to the hills before many of the forces halted . The Albanians held the ground in the end , but it had come at a very great cost . Some of Skanderbeg ' s most trusted men were captured in this battle , including : Moisi Gjurica ; Muzaka of Angelina ; Gjin Muzaka ; Gjon Perlati ; Nikollë Berisha ; Gjergj Kuka ; Gjin Maneshi . These men were overcome by the heat of the battle and did not follow Skanderbeg ' s orders to stay below the hills and were captured by the reformed Ottoman forces . The Turks hid and ambushed the Albanian officers and their companions . The Turkish cavalry regained its confidence and they climbed on top of a high point where the infantry was stationed . Ballaban , however , was content with his soldiers ' achievements and marched back to Constantinople with the captured captains . Aftermath . Skanderbeg send an ambassador to the Sultan to beg him to return his officers unharmed or else he would execute his own prisoners of war . The Sultan was not moved . He ordered a fifteen - day torture of the Albanian officers . Mehmed ordered Ballaban to continue his campaigns against Albania . Ballaban invaded Albania again , only to be soundly defeated .