DUSHANBE, September 11, 2015, Asia-Plus – The Interior Ministry’s website reports that 18 supporters of an ousted deputy defense minister have been detained by residents of Romit and handed over to the law enforcement authorities since a special operation “to apprehend and neutralize” Abduhalim Nazarzoda and his supporters was launched in the area.
Besides, 137 weapons as well as ammunition have been seized from the group during the operation with help of local population, the Interior Ministry statement says.
Seven members of the group have surrendered themselves to the government forces in Romit voluntarily, police said.
We will recall that Abduhalim Nazarzoda and a group of gunmen under his control launched a predawn attack on the main police station in the Vahdat Township east of the Tajik capital on September 4, and clashed later that day with security forces at a Defense Ministry building not far from the Dushanbe International Airport. Nine police officers were killed and six others were wounded in those attacks.
Authorities say Nazarzoda, his alleged associate Colonel Juhaidulloh Umarov, and several other gunmen then fled to the Romit Gorge, adjacent to Vahdat, where security forces are targeting them in a large-scale manhunt.
Hours after the September 4 attacks, President Emomali Rahmon dismissed Nazarzoda as deputy defense minister “for committing a crime.”
The Prosecutor-General”s Office said on September 8 that Abduhalim Nazarzoda has been officially charged with high treason, terrorism, sabotage, and creating an extremist group.
According to official data, security forces have killed 22 members of Nazarzoda group and arrested more than 100 others, since the operation against the group was launched.
Abduhalim Nazarzoda, 51, had served as deputy defense minister since January 2014. He joined the security forces in June 1997 when the government and the opposition signed a peace accord to end the five-year civil war.
