According to the NATO command, Sasa Karadzic is believed to possess information important for efforts aimed at tracking down the war crimes fugitives or for identifying those who help them in hiding.
A press release issued in Sarajevo reads that international troops in Bosnia are authorised to carry out operations such as the apprehension of Sasa Karadzic and that those actions are conducted in cooperation with the Office of the High Representative and local authorities.
The release reads that Sasa Karadzic who is currently "at a safe location" will be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, and representatives of the International Red Cross will be allowed to visit him.
Radovan Karadzic's daughter Sonja was quoted by local media as saying that NATO troops had come to her brother's flat in Pale at about 09.00 am explaining that they wanted to give back some things they had taken away during one of previous searches of his flat. After that they arrested Sasa and escorted to a helicopter which flew into an unknown direction.
The Bosnian Serb police in Pale said they had not been informed about preparations for this operation.