Tajikistan: Four militants of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan are killed in Isfara
On October 18 four militants of Islam Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were killed in Tajikistan while another one was detained, Interfax reports with the reference to Deputy Interior Minister Tohir Normatov.
Big number of weapons and ammunitions were exempted during the operation in the area of Isfara city, located 440 kilometers to the north-east of Dushanbe at the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border.
According to Asia-Plus source in one of the law enforcement structures of Tajikistan, the fighters stayed at one of the residential houses. Among them there was a suspect, the resident of Isfara, on the murder of Head of Isfara crime detection center. The criminal was detained and his name is not publicly announced.
Special group, consisting of interior affairs department of the Sogd Oblast, Oblast Department of national security service and military unit of border troops surrounded the house and proposed the criminals to surrender. The militants opened fire and injured one of the special police officers. The authorities made a decision to engage in battle.
Once the house was cleared the soldiers found the corpse of four IMU members – they were identified, but their names are kept in secret. Few other fighters that managed to escape are wanted now.
Mahmadullo Assadulloev, the Head of IAM press-service, informed RIA Novosti that one automatic Kalashnikov’s rifle, two Kalashnikov submachine guns, three pistols, ammunition as well as books with the description of explosive mechanisms were found at the battleground.
«We are currently investigating the case», Assadulloev said, adding that, perhaps, this particular group of militants were tracked by Kyrgyz border guards in the night of October 15.
It has to be noted that at 11pm of October 14 the unknown group of militants (allegedly, 8 people) crossed Kyrgyz border at the area of Kak-Tash check point and disappeared in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The unknown people also opened fire against the border guards.
The border service press-office reported that four backpacks with food and one explosive shell were found at the place of accident. The inspection also identified two places of the halt with fire and the footstep of 7-8 people. The research group identified that the footprint came from the Tajik enclave of Vorukh.