KULOB, October 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A September 30 blast in Kulob was reportedly caused by a shell for the hand anti-tank grenade launcher RPG-5.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Kulob police department chief, Colonel Abduvahhob Iskandarov, said a combat engineer from Russia’s 149th motor rifle battalion deployed in the city of Kulob had assist to define the type of explosive.

We will recall that six young men aged 17-18 were injured on September 30 as unidentified device exploded while they were loading scrap metals on a truck.  They are currently in the city hospital and their health conditions now give no reason for concern.

“Investigation has established that scrap metals were brought from the area of the Kulob former old airport,” said Iskandarov, “Several years ago, all scrap metals also those from Russian and Tajik military units deployed in the region had been brought there.”