DUSHANBE, July 23, 2014, Asia-Plus -- On Tuesday July 22, Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda visited the assault company of OMON (special police unit).

According to the Interior Ministry press center, the purpose of the visit was for the minister to get acquainted with conditions of life and service of company servicemen.

The assault company of Tajik OMON was formed in October 2012 and it is one of the most important subunits of the Interior Ministry.

All necessary conditions have been created for servicemen of the assault company due to the support of the Interior Ministry and local entrepreneurs, the source said.  

OMON (the Russian acronym for Special Purpose Mobile Unit) is a system of special police units within interior ministries of the former Soviet republics.  It was created as the special forces of the Soviet Militsiya in 1988 and then played major and sometimes leading roles in several armed conflicts during and following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Today, OMON is considered more of a riot police.  OMON continues to exist in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and some other post-Soviet territories.