MOSCOW: The Tajikistan government launched an offensive Jan.11 against Islamic opposition forces in a mountainous area of the Central Asian state, a senior Tajik official was quoted as saying.
Saidam ir Zukhuroy, the Tajik National Security Committee chief, said the operation was staged rebel fighters ignored a government ultimatum to disarm by Jan.4, reports said. The government declared a Slate of emergency in the capital, Dushanbe, last week.
Zukhuroy said government troops used force to open a key road leading from Dushanbe to the eastern town of Khorog and invaded the central Tajik towns of Rogum and Obigarm, a stronghold of opposition forces about SO miles east of Dushanbe.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 15, 1993
