Citing the “Khorog” border unit’s press center, the state-run news agency Khovar reported on April 28 that the country’s security forces have prevented a breakthrough by a transnational armed group of drug smugglers in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
An armed group numbering eight people, led by residents of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province Dodikhudo, Nadishah and Zabi waladai Muhammadsakhi, reportedly crossed into the area in GBAO’s Shugnan district patrolled by the “Tishor” frontier post on the night of April 28 for the purpose of smuggling a large amount of narcotic drugs as well as weapons and ammunition into Tajik territory.
The drug smugglers disobeyed the order of the Tajik border guards to surrender and opened fire at them, according to Khovar.
“Unable to withstand the return fire, the smugglers threw away drugs, weapons and ammunition, and using the dark time of the day, fled to the Afghan territory,” Khovar reports, citing the border unit’s press center.
Three accomplices of the smugglers – Emin Domullojonov, 41, resident of the city of Buston in Sughd province, Nido Saidmanzarov, 30, resident of the city of Khujand in Sughd province and Navras Saidmursalov, 36, resident of GBAO’s Shugnan district — were reportedly detained at the scene.
45 kilograms of heroin, one assault rifle Kalashnikov, four Kalashnikov magazines, 74 bullets, one special night vision device and 10,000 US dollars were found at the same incident site.
“Unfortunately, one Tajik serviceman was killed in a shootout with Afghan smugglers, Khovar added.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted and an investigation is under way.
Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, citing two separate sources, reported on April 28 that the chief of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS)’s office in GBAO’s capital, Khorog, Komron Rajabzoda, has been killed “during the operation by unidentified persons.”
Recall, SCNS’s Public Relations Center said on April 26 that Tajik security forces have killed two people who belonged to "an international terrorist organization" near the Afghan border.
The incident occurred near Dashti Yazgulom village in Vanj district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), the SCNS said in a statement, without identifying the individuals or the group they allegedly belonged to.
Khovar cited the SCNS Public Relations Center as saying that two alleged terrorists were killed after they illegally crossed the border river and entered the country "with the intention of committing a terrorist act, and were killed by law enforcement agencies during an anti-terrorist operation." Weapons, ammunition, and grenades were seized, the statement said, without giving further details
Two assault rifles Kalashnikov, two foreign-made pistols, eight hand grenades, twelve magazine sf bullets, nineteen packages of explosives, two special means of communications and mobile phones were reportedly found at the scene of the incident.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted over this incident and operational-search and investigative activities are underway to identify the terrorists and other accomplices in this crime.
