DUSHANBE, August 17, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Authorities have removed military checkpoints in the city of Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service quoted unnamed officials as saying government troops had also begun to withdraw from the city.

The checkpoints were set up after about 70 people were killed during a government operation on July 24 against what the authorities described as militants accused of the killing of a regional security chief.

Local residents staged a rally on August 11 demanding the removal of the checkpoints.

The rally took place after a soldier on duty shot dead two passengers of a vehicle that refused to stop at a checkpoint.