DUSHANBE, July 27, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajik government forces demanded rebel commanders in Khorog, the administrative center of Gorno-Badakhshan lay down their arms and hand over a former warlord on Thursday, a security source was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The government has offered amnesty to all rebels except the four fighters, including Tolib Ayombekov, former warlord and current commander of border unit in the Ishkashim district, it accuses of killing the regional head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), whose murder on July 21 was the trigger for the military offensive.
“We are trying to persuade the fighters to lay down their arms and hand over the four suspects, including Ayombekov,” a senior Tajik security source told Reuters in an interview on condition of anonymity.
“It could take a week or two. That”s still better than shooting each other,” he said. “Of course, they cannot continue forever. We”ve suffered heavy losses, but we will suffer more to end this situation if they do not agree to our conditions.”
Khorog was calm on Thursday, the security source and a local resident said. The local resident, able to communicate via satellite link, said people had returned to work and that shops were open for a second day on Thursday, Reuters reports.
He said he was aware of at least two civilian deaths, one elderly man and one 18-year-old man caught in crossfire. He said he had attended the funeral of the younger man and that his neighbor had informed him about the elderly man.
The security service source said: “I don”t know anything about civilian casualties. I have heard there may be some, as a result of stray bullets.”
Ayombekov has denied involvement in the death of Abdullo Nazarov, head of the regional branch of the SCNS, successor to the Soviet-era KGB. The GKNB has said his gang has been involved in smuggling drugs, tobacco and precious stones.
