Abdurahmon Alamshozoda, the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan, stated at a news conference in Dushanbe on August 8 that three terrorist attacks and two attempted terrorist acts have bene prevented in the country over the first six months of this year.
According to him, these terrorist acts were supposed to be committed in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Khatlon province, and districts subordinate to the center.
Alamshozoda refrained from giving further details, including whether any suspects were detained in connection with these events.
However, he did mention that 27 residents of Yazgulom jamoat (the third-level administrative divisions, similar to communes or municipalities) in GBAO’s Vanj district had been arrested on suspicion of being members of the Jamaat Ansarullah group, which is banned in Tajikistan.
"Four more people have been added to the wanted list," Alamshozoda added.
It is to be noted that it was the first official confirmation of the arrests.
The first deputy minister of internal affairs also noted that over the same six-month period, 95 cases of terrorism and extremism financing have been registered in the country. “Forty-three of them have been solved, resulting in the arrest of 39 individuals. The total amount of 'terrorism support' amounted to 500,000 somonis,” Alamshozoda added.
In general, over the first six months of this year, Tajik police have reportedly detained 1,381 people who were internationally wanted for various crimes; 44 people were detained through Interpol, 22 of whom have already been extradited to Tajikistan and the issue of extradition of 22 more people is under consideration.
