Over 30 killed in Tajikistan prison riots

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - At least 32 were killed on Sunday after riots broke out in a prison in Tajikistan, including prison guards and members of the Daesh terror group.

Tajikistan’s Deputy Justice Minister Mansurdjon Umarov told the Kyrgyz AKI Press news agency that three prison guards and 29 convicts were killed during the riot at around 9 pm (1600 GMT) in the high-security prison of Vahdat town 15 km southeast of Dushanbe, the capital of former Soviet Republic.

Local residents said they witnessed several ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks driving toward the prison.

Reports said that the riots were instigated by a member of the Daesh terror group being held at the prison.

At least 34 other prisoners were detained with gunfire lasting roughly 30 minutes.

The Dushanbe-based Asia-Plus reported that the three prison officers died during the riots after they released 8 Daesh members from their isolation cell.