DUSHANBE, December 28, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon yesterday extended condolences to his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev over the deadly air crash in the south of Kazakhstan.

President Rahmon also asked to convey his condolences to families of those killed in the air crash.

A military plane carrying senior Kazakh security officials crashed in the south of the country on December 25, killing all those on board.  Kazakh officials said 27 people were on the flight, including border service officers and their acting head, Turganbek Stambekov.  The plane went down near the city of Shymkent and was completely destroyed.

A statement released by Kazakhstan''s Committee for National Security said seven crew and 20 military personnel were on board the military transport plane.  Interfax-Kazakhstan said that one of Colonel Stambekov''s deputies and several regional border service commanders were also on the flight, from the Kazakh capital, Astana, to Shymkent.