At least eight government soldiers were killed in clashes Tuesday with an armed group led by a former warlord, whom the Tajik government accuses of involvement in a recent killing of a senior intelligence officer, AP quoted a security services official as telling it. The fighting marked one of the worst outbursts of violence in Tajikistan. Tuesday's clash occurred in the mountainous semi-autonomous Gorno-Badakhshan province bordering Afghanistan, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. One of those killed Tuesday was the commander of a special forces unit, he said. Large numbers of ambulances have been seen driving from the airport to hospitals in the capital, Dushanbe, suggesting that a significant quantity of troops were in need of treatment. Local reports have suggested a higher casualty figure, but officials have declined to provide confirmation.
