Former field commander Shokh Iskandarov may be involved in the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. Adviser to the Mayor of Bishkek Askhat Osmonov posted the information yesterday on his Facebook page.
Data from an analytical note with fragments of intelligence indicating the presence of Shokh Iskandarov near the border were probably used in the text he published.
24.kg news agency contacted the author of the post to find out the origin of the information provided in it. Askhat Osmonov assured that the text was not forgery. This data, he said, was provided by his own sources in the special services of Kyrgyzstan.
The text says that on the night of April 29-30, the former field commander of Tajikistan, Shokh Iskandarov, distributed weapons among the militants under his control, veterans of the war in Afghanistan, who arrived from different regions of Tajikistan, according to the list and military IDs — 2,400 Kalashnikov assault rifles in Zumrad area, near a resort located near Dostuk village in Batken region.
After the distribution of weapons, the militants accommodated in the resort premises. Shokh himself, along with his inner circle, accommodated in the house of his close friend Zainidin Khaji, who is mentioned in the note as a former member of his group, involved in organizing large drug trafficking channels.
«A tea party was organized; rams were slaughtered for the persons controlled by Shokh. They are currently awaiting instructions from Shokh. According to preliminary data, on April 30, they were supposed to attack the Kyrgyz villages Ak-Sai, Kok-Tash, Tash-Tumshuk, Orto-Boz, Kok-Terek, located between Vorukh enclave and the main part of Tajikistan, thereby uniting them,» the text says.
It is noted that the detachments were formed and had to act with the knowledge of the official authorities of Tajikistan. However, an instruction was received to temporarily suspend fulfillment of the previously received tasks.
It is noted in the post that all processes, including attacks on Kyrgyz border villages, are personally led by Shokh Iskandarov.
«Perhaps, the April 29-30 raids on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, accompanied by attacks on the border outposts of the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security, are a kind of rehearsal for a large-scale attack. Attacks along the entire front of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in Batken and Leilek districts are a distraction and a test of the actions and coherence of military units and formations of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan. In the afternoon on April 30, there was unverified information about the possibility of an attack on the military unit of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic in Buzhum village of Batken region,» the note says.
24.kg news agency contacted the press center of the State Committee for National Security for comment. The state committee did not confirm the information, but did not deny it either.
Shokh Iskandarov fought on the side of the united opposition during the civil war in Tajikistan. After signing of the inter-Tajik peace agreement, he joined the Tajik Border Troops. In 1998, he led an operation against militants of Colonel Makhmud Khudoiberdiev in Sughd region. A year later, he was appointed head of the border detachment in Jilikul district. In the same year, he took part in the operation to free Kyrgyz police officers and Japanese citizens, who were captured by militants that had entered Kyrgyzstan from Afghanistan.
Later he was appointed the head of the Isfana police. After a while, he was transferred to command the police in Buston. Iskandarov and his people were repeatedly noticed near the Kyrgyz-Tajik border during periods of aggravation of the border situation. They were last seen there two years ago.
In 2014, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan was forced to send a note to Tajikistan in connection with announcement of the arrival of a detachment of General Shokh Iskandarov in Vorukh.
The border conflict took place on April 28.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed to cease fire and withdraw military forces to the places of their previous deployment on April 29 at night. However, shooting continued in some places. Yesterday the parties made the second attempt to reach an agreement peacefully and declared a ceasefire.
At least 178 victims sought medical help, 34 people were killed, including a child, in Kyrgyzstan.
More than 33,000 people were evacuated from the conflict zone.
May 1-2, 2021 were declared the Days of National Mourning in the Kyrgyz Republic.
