Earlier this week troops in Tajikistan began to receive on their mobile phones the SMS on behalf of the former head of Riot police of the interior Ministry of Gulmurod Khalimova, proclaimed over the weekend the military leader of the grouping “Islamic state” (banned in Russia as a terrorist organization, Reuters reports citing security sources.
They Khalimov promised to “congratulate” Tajikistan with the 25th anniversary of independence, which the country will celebrate the 9th of September.
The Agency notes that the sending of the SMS coincides with the anniversary of the military coup, organized by the Deputy defence Minister of Tajikistan Abdulhalim Nazarbad. The coup was suppressed, and its leader was killed while trying to arrest. President Rahmon Emomali in the attempted rebellion accused the local Islamists.
Khalimov in may 2015 left Tajikistan and appeared in Syria, where he joined ISIS. In June of the same year the Tajik authorities have accused Khalimova treason and declared in the international search. In September 2015, the United States imposed sanctions against Khalimova against international terrorist. Also sanctions against the former commander of Riot police entered the UN.
August 30, 2016, the U.S. government announced a reward of $3 million for information on the whereabouts of Khalimova. “Khalimov is a former Colonel in the Tajik special forces and military sniper, led a special detachment of the interior Ministry of Tajikistan. He is now a member of ISIS and recruiter,” — said in a statement, the U.S. state Department.
4 Sep Halimov named “al-Tajiki”, according to the Agency Amaq transmitting news on behalf of ISIS, was appointed military head of the group is a native of Georgia batarishvili Tarhan (Umar the Chechen), who was killed in July.
