Tajik military academy chief assassinated

ISN SECURITY WATCH (Monday, 30 January: 10.42 CET) – An unidentified gunman has assassinated the head of Tajikistan’s top military academy, news agencies reported.

Military academy head Hokimshoh Hafizov was shot as he was leaving his home in the capital, Dushanbe, on Friday.

Tajik Interior Ministry officials told reporters they were investigating the incident, but had so far been unable to determine a motive and had no suspects.

Also on Friday, unidentified assailants attacked a prison in northern Tajikistan, killing the prison warden and freeing a prisoner with suspected ties to the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).