DUSHANBE, August 1 2012, Asia-plus  -- Afghan regional security force commander Qari Wadud has been detained in Afghan Badakhshan in connection with the Khorog events.

Radio Liberty reports officers from the Afghan National Security Agency arrested and took to Kabul Qari Wadud, commander of the security forces in the Shuhada district in Afghan Badakhshan Province.  Qari Wadud is reportedly suspected of being involved in the events that took place in Khorog, the capital of Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) last week.

Provincial security chief for Afghan Badakhshan Samunwal Sakhidad confirmed this information in an interview with Radio Liberty and noted that Qari Wadud was the first person detained in Afghanistan in connection with the Khorog events.  According to him, detention of other persons involved in the recent events in Khorog will be continued.

Samunwal Sakhidad also confirmed that eight nationals of Afghanistan were killed and four others were detained during a special operation carried out by Tajik government forces in Khorog.

We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon reportedly had a telephone conversation with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on July 25.  The sides expressed concern about the situation in southeastern Tajikistan, in particular in the city of Khorog.  In the course of the talks, President Karzai said that the Afghan authorities were sending additional forces to Badakhshan Province and they would stay there until full normalization of the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border.