DUSHANBE, March 25, 2010, Asia-Plus /Nargis Hamroboyeva/ - A car bomb exploded in Dushanbe yesterday morning, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

The source at a MoI says the blast took place at about 8:45 am at the Fridavsi Street as police officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Safarali Hamdamov, started his car.

“Hamdamov who serves as chief of the public order department within the Ministry of Interior sustained minor injuries after the car blew up,” he said, noting that Hamdamov had previously served as a chief district police officer at Dushanbe’s Sakhovat bazaar.

In the meantime, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on March 24 that the Interior Ministry official said the explosion was caused by TNT.  An investigation is under way.

A person who lives nearby told RFE/RL he heard the explosion and went to help Safarali.

Safarali lives next door to General Rajabali Rahmonov, the head of the Presidential Guard. One analyst says that Rahmonov (no relation to President Emomali Rahmon) could have been the target of the bomb.  Rahmonov survived a reported assassination attempt when a bomb blew up his car in 2007, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported.