DUSHANBE, September 20, 2010, Asia-Plus – One of former opposition field commanders in Rasht Valley Mirzokhouja Ahmadov and several his supporters voluntarily handed over their weapons to law enforcement authorities deployed in Gharm, the administrative center of Rasht district Monday morning, Asia-Plus has learned from a source at one of the country’s power-wielding structures of Tajikistan.

“Ahmadov has promised not to interfere in the events in the east of the country,” the source said.

Asia-Plus has tried to get in touch with Ahmadov by phone but he was not at home.  He is now in Gharm.

In the meantime, a high-ranking officer from the Minister of Defense (MoD) says that Ahmadov has not handed over weapons to the law enforcement authorities.  “According to our data, Ahmadov has a large amount of weapons,” said the MoD official, “If Ahmadov really wanted peace and stability in the region, he would come and handover weapons.”

Ahmadov was a member of the UTO during the country''s civil war in the mid-1990s but was later appointed to a senior police post as part of a broader attempt at reintegrating former rebel leaders.  He served as chief of the Interior Ministry anti organized crime division for Rasht Valley until autumn 2008.  He was dismissed following the murder of the special police unit commander Oleg Zakharchenko in Gharm in February 2008.

The special police unit was attacked on February 2, 2008 after it was dispatched to the Rasht district headquarters of the regional state body empowered to combat organized crime. The police unit was reportedly seeking to arrest the head of the body, Mirzokhouja Ahmadov, but was fired upon by gunmen loyal to Ahmadov. Oleg Zakharchenko was the only person killed, although several policemen sustained injuries in the shoot-out.

We will recall that Ahmadov warned in late July this year that he will take up arms if force is used against him and his supporters.  He stated that after investigation into murder of the commander of special police unit Oleg Zakharchenko was resumed and Ahmadov is accused of having been involved in killing of Zakharchenko.

On September 15, Interior Minister Abdurahim Qahhorov, Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev, State Committee for National Security deputy head Mansourjon Umarov and Deputy Prosecutor-General Abduqodir Muhammadiyev met in Gharm with Mirzokhouja Ahmadov and another former opposition commander and Shoh Iskandarov.

The deputy chief prosecutor assured the former opposition commanders of their safety and noted that no criminal proceedings would be instituted against them.  The meeting  resulted in conclusion of an oral agreement between the sides.

In the meantime, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on September 15 that after the five-hour meeting, the law enforcement officials have assured Ahmadov and Iskandarov of their safety and told them that the government had sent forces to the district only to detain Mullo Abdullo (Abdullo Rahimov) and his supporters.  A source told RFE/RL that the government delegation asked Ahmadov and Iskandarov to help them in detaining Mullo Abdullo, who is their former colleague.

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.

The Defense Ministry spokesman Faridoun Mahmadaliyev said the gunmen are believed to have included militants from Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as fighters from Russia''s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.