DUSHANBE, May 28, Asia-Plus  -- Suhrob Langariyev and his seven supporters who were detained during yesterday’s operation are currently being held in the pretrial detention facility run by the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), according to the Ministry of Interior.   

The source at a MoI said that charges under the provisions of several article of the Criminal Code will be formally brought against Suhrob Langariyev within the next few days.  According to him, Langariyev, in particular, faces charges of illegal possession of weapons, drug trafficking, etc.  

The MoI source added Suhrob Langariyev’s nephew – the 24-year-old Azam Langariyev, the son of one of former leaders of the pro-government Popular Front Sangak Safarov – the 22-year-old Nourmahmad Safarov, and several Afghan nationals were also detained in Suhrob’s house yesterday. 

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Kulob prosecutor Nasrullo Mahmoudov said that Afghan nationals had tried to use five women and one child that had been with m in the house as human shields.    

According to the Kulob police directorate chief Kholmurod Khorkashev, Suhrob Langariyev has allegedly been wanted by police since 2002 on suspicion of having been involved in robbery crimes.  

We will recall that the first deputy head of GKNB, Kasim Gaffarov, told Asia-Plus that eight persons had been in the house.  Three of them surrendered while five others were arrested during the assault on the house.  He added that a large amount of weapons and ammunition as well as narcotic drug had been found in the house.  “According to the Afghan nations, the house was mined,” Gaffarov said.  

The 29-year-old Suhrob Langariyev is the junior brother of one of former leaders of the pro-government Popular Front Langari Langariyev who was killed in the early 1990s.

As had been reported earlier, officers from the law enforcement agencies have launched an assault on a house of Suhrob Langariyev yesterday morning, at around 9:30 a.m.  The operation, carried out by officers from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), involved special units of police and security service and armored personnel carriers.  

According to the MoI source, two officers from the GKNB special unit were seriously wounded during the operation.  One of them, Captain Rustam Jalilov died in hospital, while the second one, Warrant Officer Islom Gulov is in serious health condition.   

We will recall that two passersby were killed during the firefight.