KHOROG/DUSHANBE, February 26, Asia-Plus  -- Some 200 residents of Khorog, the capital of Gorno Badakhshan, held a demonstration today afternoon.  According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), they demanded handing over of illegally possessed weapons.

In the meantime, Asia-Plus’ correspondent for Khorog reported that some 200 people, primarily women, gathered near School #2 in the center of the city Tuesday afternoon, at around 2:00 p.m.  Shortly after, demonstrators moved to the area near Khorog State University. 

The demonstrators carried placards that read “Mothers against Weapons!” and “Don’t Cause Clash between Our Children!”     

The meeting lasted about one hour and the demonstrators then disbursed. 

Speaking in interview with Asia-Plus, Ms, Jonsulton Guldastashoyeva, the chairperson of the GBAO Committee for Family and Women’s Affairs, initiators of the demonstration were women from some residential entities of Khorog.

We will recall that a high-ranking official with a MoI told Asia-plus on Monday that a group of armed persons fired at a building of the Khorog police department Saturday evening.  According to him, a group of armed people numbering seven persons, led by Mamadboqir Mamadboqirov, former commanders of one of frontier posts in the Murgab district, fired several times at the building of the Khorog police department.  They then burst into the building and beat one of duty officers, according to him.