DUSHANBE, September 15, 2008, Asia-Plus — An operation carried out by a special investigation group of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in the northern city of Isfara on September 14 led to the arrest of a person suspected of having been involved in an August 28 attack on two police in Isfara, Mahmadullo Asadulloyev, a spokesman for a MoI, told Asia-Plus on Monday.
During the operation, one of police officers was wounded as the suspect, whose name is not disclosed in the interest of investigation, offered an armed resistance.
We will recall that Senior Lieutenant Firouz Olimov, 28, and Lieutenant Jamshed Ahmadov, 22, on a routine patrol on August 28 spotted two suspicious-looking persons near the shopping center in the city of Isfara, who were carrying a big black bag. The police officers asked those two to show their ID cards but they did not obey. The policemen decided to take them to the police department and got them into the car. On the way to the police department, one of detainees took out firearms from the bag and fired on the police officers. The detainees managed to escape; the police officers with serious bullet wounds were taken to the hospital. Olimov and Ahmadov are currently in good health condition.
The Tajik law enforcement authorities suppose that the assaulters have ties with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the spokesman said.
It is to be noted that it is not the only incident in Isfara over the past two months. As it had been reported earlier, a 38-year-old district police officer Azizkhouja Toshkhoujayev was wounded in the Navgilem area of Isfara on September 5. Three persons involved in the attack on the district police officer reportedly also have ties with the IMU.
