During the Ottoman countercoup of 1909, Boletini along with several Kosovo Albanian chieftains offered the sultan military assistance. On 15 May 1909, the Young Turks, continuing their former policy of denying the Albanians national rights, sent a military expedition to the Kosovo Vilayet to stop the growth of hostile attitudes to the government and break resistance of the peasants, who refused to pay taxes which Istanbul had introduced. Cavid Pasha, the new commander of the division at Mitroviça, was ordered to carry out a succession of military operations against the Albanian mountaineers, in particular the capture of Boletini. The Young Turks expressed the view through their newspaper "Tanin" that most Albanians of the area had given their besa (pledge) not to go against the government apart from Boletini and a few supporters. Ottoman authorities placed a reward of 300 liras on Boletini for his capture. On account of the attempts of the authorities to collect taxes which hitherto had been paid almost entirely by the Christians, serious disturbances broke out among the war-like Muslim tribes of northern Albania. Isa Boletini, a prominent leader often honoured by the Sultan, and other chiefs of Pejë and Yakova (Gjakovë), attacked the Ottoman army, and numerous fights led to much bloodshed, the Ottoman army also bombarding several villages. Boletini led fighting in Pristina, Prizren and elsewhere.