DUSHANBE, September 3, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Asia-Plus has received report that an armed group that probably included prisoners that escaped from the pretrial detention facility of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) on August 23 exchanged gunfire with servicemen of two of three checkpoints of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Romit Gorge, Vahdat district, some 45 kilometers east of Dushanbe.

A reliable source at one of power-wielding structures of the country says the skirmish lasted for several hours, from 24:00 to 4:00 am.  No casualties have been reported

The MoF checkpoints deployed in the villages of Bungakiyon and Gulbuloq were attacked, the source said.

“According to information received, the escapees that were hiding in the village of Chuqaysha of Vahdat district managed to break out of encirclement and flee toward Romit Gorge,” noted the source. “In Romit, they joined another group of escapees and went toward Kuhistoni Mastchoh.  According to the preliminary data, some 10 escapees were hiding in Chuqaysha.”   

We will recall the settlement of Chuqaysha in Vahdat district was cordoned off yesterday in hunt of the escaped prisoners.  Tajik law enforcement authorities also said yesterday that they had recaptured one escapee. His is Ibrohim Nasriddinov also known as Qori Ibrohim.

Tajik law enforcement forces are continuing a search operation for the escaped prisoners.