Military

Ramadan Shiti captured by Soldiers in Kosovo

December 19, 2005

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo (Army News Service, Dec. 19, 2005) – Multinational Brigade East Soldiers captured escaped fugitive Ramadan Shiti and two associates, Mehmet Dalipi and Ahmet Shkret, Dec. 16 near the village of Drobnjak.

Shiti, wanted under both international and Kosovo arrest warrants, was taken into custody at about 9:15 p.m. by military police Soldiers from MNB(E)’s Task Force Dragoon and Kosovo Police Service officers following a nearly six hour pursuit through a rough and remote region of the Kacanik municipality.

KFOR soldiers from the Polish-Ukrainian Peacekeeping Battalion and Task Force Shadow, MNB(E)’s aviation support battalion, also assisted in the pursuit and capture of the fugitives.

Shiti, a member of the Kondovo group, escaped from confinement in Skopje, Macedonia on May 10, 2005. He was being held there awaiting trial for the murder of a taxi driver.

Shiti was first spotted at about 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon by a MNB(E) leaders’ reconnaissance patrol in the vicinity of Melic. After reporting the sighting and requesting assistance, the MNB(E) patrol initiated pursuit of Shiti.

MNB(E) aerial reconnaissance and observation assets, POLUKR battalion quick reaction forces, and additional military police Soldiers were brought in to assist in the chase. The POLUKR battalion also established a wide area cordon and set up vehicle check points throughout the area.

After matching Shiti’s identity to the international warrant, KFOR soldiers turned him over to UNMIK-P’s special police unit. Dalipi and Shkret were transferred to the Kacanik KPS station for processing.