DUSHANBE, September 21, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Government officials say the weapon handover process is going on in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) says 137 weapons have bee confiscated or voluntarily handed to police stations in Gorno Badakhshan over the first six months of this year.

Meanwhile, residents of Khorog surrendered 251 weapons since July 24 this year, the Interior Ministry’s official website reports.  This included 101 Kalashnikov assault rifles, six machine-guns, 22 grenade launchers, one mortar, one DShK (Degtyaryova-Shpagina Large-Caliber heavy machine gun), one anti-aircraft gun, and more than 20,000 ammunition.   

We will recall that the clashes began in Khorog on July 24 when government forces launched a military operation against what it called “militants” following the murder of the regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov on July 21.

The authorities have blamed Tolib Ayombekov, a former warlord from the civil war, for the murder of Abdullo Nazarov.  Hundreds of troops have reportedly poured into Khorog to hunt down Ayombekov.

Authorities also accused Ayombekov of drug-trading and smuggling tobacco and precious stones.

Tolib Ayombekov has denied the accusations and said the government is using Nazarov''s death as a pretext for cementing its grip over Gorno Badakhshan.  Tolib Ayombekov surrendered to the authorities on August 12.

The authorities demand that people they consider responsible for the murder of the GBAO regional security chief be handed over to face justice.