DUSHANBE, July 20, 2009, Asia-Plus — In a joint statement released on July 18, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) read out names of the gunmen that were killed near the Havzi Kaboud (Blue Lake) are in the Tavildara district on July 16.
“In the framework of the anti-drug operation, dubbed Poppy 2009, a group of unknown persons were discovered in the Havzi Kaboud area on July 16. They refused to obey a legal order by the law enforcement officers and suddenly attacked a post of the National Guard servicemen,” says the statement, “As a result of shoot-out two servicemen of Tajik law enforcement agencies were wounded an five assailants were killed.”
According to the statement, all those killed had Russian passports: Shanil Magomedov (1988), resident of the city of Novocherkask in Russia’s Rostov region; Akhmed Abbasov (1984), resident of Russia’s Dagestan Autonomous Republic; Aleksey Babin (1989), resident of the city of Nizhnevartovsk in Russia’s Tyumen region, Roman Khan (1984), ethnic Kazakh from St. Petersburg; and Renat Sabdyushev (1983), resident of the city of Stary Oskol, Russia.”
Investigation has established that the killed gunmen were members of one organized terrorist group, the statement said, noting that nine gunmen have been killed since the beginning of the operation and operation to search for other members of this gang is under way.
In the meantime, reports release by international media say government in Central Asia have blamed the latest attacks on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a group whose militants have long fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
We will recall that on July 11, one of top field commanders of former United Tajik Opposition (UTO) Mirzo Ziyoev was shot dead in Tavildara after he agreed to help the government forces convince another armed gang to surrender. His killing followed an attack on a police checkpoint.
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, similar attacks have taken place in other parts of Central Asia this summer, including Uzbekistan. It remains unclear who is behind the attacks and whether they are connected, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service said. In another clash, Kyrgyz security forces killed three men they described as Islamist extremists in a gun battle in the Ferghana Valley.
Security analysts say the surge of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and Pakistan”s offensive against militants in tribal areas, may have forced some Taliban fighters of Central Asian origin to trickle back into the former Soviet region, according to RFE/RL.
Radio Liberty reported on July 18 that Kyrgyz security forces have arrested a group of suspected militants coordinating a logistics supply network for Taliban insurgents fighting U.S. forces in nearby Afghanistan.
