DUSHANBE, August 31, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Three servicemen of the French Air Force contingent deployed at the Dushanbe airport have reportedly beaten director of one of Dushanbe restaurants.

According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the incident took on the night of August 28-29.

“On August 30, the police department at Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district received application from Ikrom Yusupov, the director of the Artel Restaurant, in which he noted that on the night of August 28-29, three French servicemen allegedly quarreled with the restaurant employees and did not want to pay for the services,” said the source at a MoI “The restaurant director had to interfere and asked the French servicemen to pay; however, they beat him.  Ikrom Yusupov received various injuries and was taken to the National Medical Center (formerly Republican Clinical Hospital # 3).”

Investigation in to the incident is under way.