Violence appears to be spiking again in Tajikistan, with both government security forces and rebels conducting offensives in recent days.
Tajikistan's Interior Ministry forces conducted an operation in the Rasht Valley, killing nine alleged militants, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports:
The militants were reportedly supporters of Alovuddin Davlatov, one the militant leaders Tajik authorities blame for an ambush on a military convoy in September that left 28 servicemen dead.
(RFE/RL doesn't say when the operation took place.)
And in another incident, about 30 suspected drug smugglers got into a firefight with Tajikistan security forces got on December 27, according to RFE/RL again, citing unnamed government officials.
The officials, who requested anonymity, said that after three hours of fighting the border guards requested air support.
A combat helicopter opened fire on the intruders and forced them to retreat into Afghanistan.
The officials said several smugglers and two Tajik soldiers were killed during the gun battle.
Local residents say three Tajik servicemen died and that two of them may have been victims of friendly fire from the helicopter. The Tajik military denied that anyone was killed by friendly fire.
Offensive operations by helicopters in Tajikistan are rare, so it raises the question if this might be a Russian helicopter from the Russian base near Dushanbe. Either way, bad news for Tajikistan.
Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.
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