Ballaban ' s campaign of 1465 On August 1465 , Ballaban Badera , a sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Ohrid who was an Albanian - born janissary launched his fourth but largest campaign against Skanderbeg . He was defeated in both battles of Ohrid and Vajkal the year before . Ballaban had previously inflicted severe casualties to Skanderbeg ' s forces and soon received high favor from Mehmet II . He soon appointed Ballaban and Jakup Arnauti — both Albanian peasants by birth — to lead a joint - campaign against Skanderbeg ' s forces . According to some scholars , this act of inclusion by the Sultan was a promotion of a social revolution within Albania to wean forces away from Skanderbeg . Whatever the motives , the Ottoman army marched forth with two separate forces : one from the south under Arnauti and the other , under Ballaban ' s personal command , from the east . Applying a pincer movement the goal of this action was to meet in central Albania in full force , storming what was supposed to be a hesitant Albanian defense . Skanderbeg , however , defeated both armies thoroughly by marching against Ballaban ' s column first , defeating it and engaging Arnauti ' s column afterwards with the same result . The victory brought great joy and relief to the Albanian people who had been expecting a serious defeat . Despite the tremendous results , the indomitable Sultan marched forth again the next year , bringing great devastation to the country . Campaigns of 1465 . Ballaban Badera had been given command of two separate forces to march against Skanderbeg in 1465 . The first was defeated at Vaikal . But the Albanian victory came to a great cost . Many of Skanderbeg ' s most trusted lieutenants had been captured and sent to Istanbul . They were given the choice of converting to Islam or of dying . All of them chose the latter and their bodies were mutilated and thrown to the dogs . A new army was assembled and sent again to Albania . This time it was defeated near Oranik but at great risk to Skanderbeg ' s life . He found himself cut off from the rest of his troops ( except for his personal bodyguard ) and was cut down by an Ottoman soldier . The Albanian army began to panic but Skanderbeg rose and managed to cut his way out despite his heavy wounds . Ballaban , after suffering his second consecutive defeat , returned to Istanbul where the Sultan continued to support him due to what Ballaban called the " will of the stars " . Campaign . Prelude . Before he began his campaign , Ballaban offered Skanderbeg several gifts . Instead of accepting them , Skanderbeg sent back a pickax and a plough to remind Ballaban of his origins as a peasant , showing that it would have been more noble to have stayed so than to turn against one ' s own people . Ballaban was offended and made an oath of vengeance . Ballaban planned to march two armies into Albania . Ballaban ' s force of 24 , 000 men was to march from Debar and Jakup Arnauti ' s force of 16 , 000 men from Berat . The plan was to march onto Kruja and take it after Skanderbeg would have moved against one of the two armies . From there , the other would move into Skanderbeg ' s rear and hopefully annihilate his army . Many Albanian princes allied to Skanderbeg — most notably Moisi Golemi — began to advocate a purely defensive campaign to thwart the Ottoman invasion . But Skanderbeg felt that he must , at all costs , prevent the linking up of the two armies sent against him , especially now that he had received fresh troops and supplies from King Ferdinand I of Naples , bringing his forces ' numbers to 12 , 000 men . He therefore marched against Ballaban first . Battle of Vaikal . Skanderbeg bivouacked his forces near Oranik , in the fields of Vajkal , where Ballaban was to march . Ballaban , before moving into the fields , sent out men to Skanderbeg ' s posts to bribe them into not going out to guard during a late hour . Skanderbeg , however , expected such a stratagem and surreptitiously moved his forces into the wooded areas around the area where Ballaban ' s army would be moved to ; 8 , 000 cavalrymen and 4 , 000 infantry were set up on both sides . He marched out for eight miles to find Ballaban ' s army and upon seeing Skanderbeg , the latter ordered all of his forces out to capture Skanderbeg and defeat his army afterwards . After reaching his men , Skanderbeg exhorted them to fight bravely in order to finish off the Turks . He soon split up his forces into four groups : this first to Tanush Thopia ; the second to Pal Engjelli ' s brother in - law who ruled over Durrës ; the third to Zaharia Gropa ; and the last to himself . The Ottoman forces who were wary of following him so with his own group he continually harassed the Ottoman soldiers until they were driven into his chosen field of battle . Once the Turks had neared , all of the Albanian forces sprang out of their positions , encircling the Turks . The latter attempted to hold out , but they could not resist and so they took to flight , leaving many dead and wounded behind . Ballaban , however , managed to escape by hiding out in a secure place with a portion of his forces , waiting to escape as soon as the Albanians marched off . Ballaban got his opportunity when Skanderbeg received news from his sister that Jakup Arnauti ' s forces had reached central Albania , destroying much of the land they marched through . Skanderbeg immediately set off and Ballaban returned to the Sultan defeated . Battle of Kashari . Arnauti marched into Albania expecting to meet his colleague , Ballaban , but he instead was about to meet Skanderbeg . Before he set off for the march , Skanderbeg exhorted to his men that since they had already beaten an army twice their size , they should expect a quick victory over an army of only 16 , 000 men . The Albanians moved toward Kashar i , near little Tirana , where Arnauti ' s forces were waiting . Upon reaching the place , Skanderbeg sent out 500 cavalrymen to provoke Arnauti into making a rash decision . Skanderbeg ' s intentions were fulfilled and Arnauti split his forces into three in order to surround and defeat the Albanian cavalrymen who continued to be chased without being stopped . When the Ottoman forces were spotted by the Albanians , a powerful charge was launched onto the unsuspecting Turks resulting in an initially fierce battle . Here , Jakup Arnauti was spotted by Skanderbeg in battle and the latter struck the former with his spear right below the chin . Arnauti ' s death devastated Ottoman morale , resulting in most of the force fleeing and being pursued by the Albanians who inflicted heavy casualties . Aftermath . Ottoman casualties were very heavy with estimates of the time going upwards of 24 , 000 dead , wounded , and captured . As usual , Skanderbeg authorized the taking of loot . The victorious army marched into Kruja , where the doubting populace greeted them with great cheer . Skanderbeg notified ambassadors who were nearby of his victory , allotting much of the loot captured by his army to them . The next year , Mehmed II marched into Albania with a great number and again besieged Kruja . Ballaban would be left with much of the Sultan ' s forces since the latter went to build the Elbasan fortress . Skanderbeg , again , managed to extricate himself , this time managing to bring about the death of his rival .