While I was busy with the report on harsh winter in Tajiksitan, Ian at Beyond the River made some good reports on the awkward gunfight, which occurred several weeks ago in Garm, 230 kilometers east from the capital Dushanbe. As a result of the gunfight (Fergana.ru) between the two departments subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the head of OMON (special squad of militia) Colonel Zakharchenko was killed.

It’s strange to realize that the government knows who the murderer of the high rank officer is, but it does not take measures to punish him. Probably the government is not really sure whether it wants to conduct a special military (police) operation in Garm to arrest the head of UBOP (department for combating organized crime) the former member of United Tajik Opposition, who is claimed to be guilty for the death of Zakharchenko. This could provoke the population of Garm, which is already discontented because of the energy crisis in the country.

IWPR has a good report on the murder of the officer in Garm.

It is a worrisome situation in Tajikistan because another gunfight took place (rus) in Gorno-Badakhshan between the local militia and a former military officer. On 23rd of February a former head of military unit in Murgab, attacked by fire a local militia department in Khorog (Gorno-Badakhshan) together with his followers. AsiaPlus makes a very strange report where it says that it was simply a bully action, but I suppose that it was something more than that.