DUSHANBE, July 11, 2009, Asia-Plus – During an operation launched against an armed group that attacked a police post Safedkhok in the Tavildara district on July 8, Mirzo Ziyoev, ex-Minister of Emergencies and former warlord of the United Tajik Opposition, who allegedly joined that armed group, surrendered to the government forces.  Five his confederates were detained together with him.

According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, the operation against that illegal armed group was launched on July 9.

The source noted that three gunmen had been killed during the attack on the police post Safedkhok and one another, known as Qiyomiddin, had been wounded.  “He died in two days after the attack,” the source said.

“Later, it became known that that criminal group had been set up by local resident Nemat Azizov, former officers from the battalion of the Committee of Emergencies and Civil Defense deployed in Tavildara,” said the source, “It has been established that in early June they killed an officer of the Ministry of Defense (MoD).  Officers investigating into the murder of the MoD officer found the trace of the criminals, but during the attack on the police post Safedkhok thy escaped and hid in the Childara area.  They sought help from Mirzo Ziyoev and he joined them.”

According to him, they were allegedly going to seize buildings of the district administration and police department in Tavildara.  The government forces began the operation to surround them on July 9 and on July 10, Mirzo Ziyoev and five his confederates surrendered to the government forces, the source said.

Operation to detain other criminals is under way.  Tajik la enforcement authorities are currently solving issue of transporting Mirzo Ziyoev to Dushanbe.