Rasht chairman says situation in the district remains stable

DUSHANBE, September 20, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The situation in Rasht district is calm and there are no any causes for destabilization of the situation in the area, the Rasht chairman Mahmadjon Davlatov told Asia-Plus by phone Monday afternoon.

According to him, life in the district runs its course and people are engaged in their daily routines.  “Law enforcement authorities are investigating in the Sunday’s attack on a military convoy that occurred in the Kamarob district,” Davlatov said.

In the meantime, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on Monday that local political and public activists have called on residents of Rasht Valley to support the government forces in detaining armed gunmen that attacked the military convoy Sunday’ afternoon.  The statement was adopted on Monday morning.

RFE/RL Tajik Service reports that the Rasht political and public activists accuse Mullo Abdullo (Abdullo Rahimov) and Alovuddin Davlatov, known as Ali Bedak, of organizing that attack.  According to them, persons who organized that terrorist attack took training courses at terrorist camps in other countries and they want to implement goals of enemies of the Tajik people for money.

We will recall that a statement released by the Ministry of Defense Sunday evening says a military convoy was ambushed in the Kamarob Gorge in Rasht district, some 250 kilometers east of Dushanbe, on September 19, at 12:30 pm.  23 soldiers were killed and several others were wounded.

The Ministry of Defense considers that the attack was committed by the armed group of Mullo Abdullo (Abdullo Rahimov).  Military authorities also stated that the armed group of the former opposition commander Alovuddin Davlatov, known as Ali Bedak, had also been involved in the Sunday attack.