KHUJAND, October 21, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Khairullo Mirzoyev, a serviceman of the Sughd OMON (special police unit), who was wounded during a three-hour raid on a house in Isfara, where the IMU members were hiding, remains in hard but stable condition, the deputy head physician of the central district hospital in Isfara, Ravshanbek Ibodulloyev said.

According to him, Mirzoyev was taken to the hospital on October 18 at about 6:00 pm with bullet wound to head.  “He was in extremely critical condition but his heath condition has stopped deteriorating and there is a hope for relative improvement,” Ibodulloyev said.

We will recall that the OMON serviceman Khairullo Mirzoyev was wounded in a special operation to detain alleged members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), all believed to be Tajik nationals, that was carried out in the northern city of Isfara n October 18.  According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, four alleged IMU members were killed and one another was arrested in the operation.  The law enforcement officers reportedly seized three assault rifle Kalashnikov, a machine gun, two Makarov pistols and a large amount of bullets of different caliber during the operation.