China is ready to ensure regional security jointly with Tajikistan — foreign ministry

China supports the measures taken by Tajikistan to protect the national security and stability

© ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Smirnov

BEIJING, September 9. /TASS/. China is closely following the developments in Tajikistan related to a recent attack on the government forces and supports the efforts of the country’s leadership to ensure national security and is ready to boost cooperation with Tajikistan in the security sphere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a regular briefing on Wednesday.
"China supports the measures taken by Tajikistan to protect the national security and stability. The Chinese side is willing to strengthen cooperation with Tajikistan in the field of security, jointly safeguard security and stability in both countries and the region," Hong Lei said.
The situation in Tajikistan escalated in connection with an attempted armed rebellion led by former Deputy Defense Minister Abdukhalim Nazarzoda. On September 4 in the morning the rebels attacked the central office of the Defense Ministry and one of the military units, and seizing a large quantity of weapons and ammunition fled to the Ramit Gorge in the mountains. On the same day, 9 policemen were killed in two attacks of the rebels.

Currently, elite units of the Tajikistani Interior Ministry, the State Committee of National Security and the Defense Ministry of the country are conducting an anti-terrorist operation. They have liquidates about 20 members of the gang and arrested more than 70 people. The operation continues.
On Saturday, the criminal group of Tajikistan’s former Deputy Defense Minister Abdulkhalim Nazarzoda dropped most arms and dispersed in the mountains some 50 kilometers from the country’s capital city Dushanbe. Law enforcers’ helicopters monitored the region to follow the bandits.
Over the years of the civil war in Tajikistan in 1992-1995, Nazarzoda, dubbed Khalim, was a field commander of the Tajik armed opposition. After a peace deal was signed in June 1997, Nazarzoda was commissioned to the Tajik army under the program of reintegration of former opposition gunmen. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed deputy defense minister.