KHUJAND, September 4, 2001, Asia-Plus — Two civilians were also injured in a September 3 blast in Khuujand; they are currently at city hospital # 1 in Khujand, a statement released by press service of the Sughd police directorate says.
Two police officers were killed and 26 other were injured as suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the office of the Sughd regional body empowered to combat organized crime at around 8:00 am of September 3. Senior Lieutenant Ayubjon Mahkamov, 34, died in hospital as a result of injuries from the blast. The second police killed in the blast was also identified. He proved to be the 22-year-old trainee Alijon Mayoqubov from Khujand.
The suicide bomber who also was killed in the blast has not yet been identified. Earlier, law enforcement authorities said that there had been two suicide bombers in the explosive-packed car.
The blast destroyed parts of the building of the Sughd anti organized crime division and shattered windows in surrounding buildings. An operation team led by the Sughd police chief Rauf Yusupov has been set up to investigate the blast.
A special commission led by the Security Council Secretary Amirqul Azimov has been set up to investigate the Khujand attack, and Azimov himself was sent to Khujand on September 3 to oversee the probe.
An official statement released by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on September 3 says the suicide bomber drove the explosive packed car with high speed into the gated compound of the anti- organized crime division – as the gate was closing after two police cars entered the complex – and the car exploded.
According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, the terrorist act was aimed at impeding investigation into murder of Homidjon Karimov, who was closely connected with criminal circles.
Five persons have been arrested on suspicion of having been involved in killing of Homidjon Karimov, and their supporters tried to arrange a crush-out for them or to impede the investigation, the statement said.
Tajik law enforcement authorities noted that it could not be ruled out that persons involved in the blast had ties to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
We will recall that former bazaar director Homidjon Karimov was shot to death on August 30. According to unofficial sources, Homidjon Karimov, who was serving the remainder of his sentence in the open-prison settlement, visited his uncle in the Surkh Jamoat on August 30 for iftor (the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan).
When Karimov was leaving his uncle’s house, a car came up to the house and unidentified gunmen shot Karimov to death from assault rifle Kalashnikov and Makarov pistol.
Law enforcement authorities say Homidjon Karimov was member of one of criminal groupings that brutally beaten a local resident in May 2006. Five confederates of Karimov were sentenced to prison terms of between 9 and 13 years that time, while Karimov himself managed to flee. He was later detained and sentenced to nine years in prison.
