DUSHANBE, April 21, 2009, Asia-Plus — Three border guards were killed and three others were injured on April 10 as a heavy snow storm hit the area patrolled by the frontier outpost Khargushi in GBAO’s Ishkashim district, Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the main border directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), told Asia-Plus today.
According to him, six border guards, including the frontier outpost commander, Major Aminbek Davlatqadamov, were on a routine patrol as a heavy snow storm started. “Because of bad weather a radio communication with them was lost,” said the spokesman, “50 officers and soldiers were involved in an operation for search for them. It was impossible to use helicopters in search operation because of bad weather conditions.”
The spokesman noted that Major Aminbek Davlatqadamov and two private soldiers Hasan Touraqulov and Shuhrat Abdulloyev were found alive with deep frostbites only on April 14. They are currently undergoing medical treatment at the border service’s hospital in Dushanbe. The bodies of Lieutenant Saymurod Aralov and private soldiers Akbarali Hoitqulov and Umed Sulaymonov were found on April 18.
