2009 Country Reports on Terrorism - Tajikistan

Tajikistan's security forces confronted members of terrorist groups in the east-central district of Tavildara in spring and summer 2009. Government forces killed several suspected members of the terrorist group Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), while other terrorists fled the area as a result of government counterterrorism operations from May to August. The terrorists had infiltrated Tajikistan from Afghanistan and, reportedly, from Russia. Tajikistani security forces also fought extremists near the capitol of Dushanbe and in northern Tajikistan, as well as on the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border.

While security forces were able to defeat the incursion in Tavildara, they continued to suffer from lack of resources. Border Guards and other services lacked appropriate technical equipment, transportation, personnel, and training to interdict illegal border crossings, detect and analyze hazardous substances effectively and respond quickly to incursions. Pervasive corruption and low wages also undermined the motivation of security force members to interdict smugglers.

Tajikistan's 1,300 kilometer long border with Afghanistan is lightly guarded. Much of it runs through remote and difficult terrain, which allows smugglers, extremists, and terrorists to travel to and from Afghanistan. To address the transshipment of illicit goods and people across Tajikistan's borders, the United States and other donors assisted the Government of Tajikistan's efforts to secure its border with Afghanistan. The United States provided communication support to the Border Guards, built a commercial customs facility at the Nizhny Pyanj Bridge, and provided technical and scanning equipment at this location. The U.S. Department of Defense sponsored two Counter Narcoterrorism Training (formerly Joint Combined Exchange Training) events with Tajikistani security forces to improve their capacity to conduct counterterrorism operations. The U.S. Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau (INL) provided Tajikistan's State Committee for National Security with a Counter Narcotics/Counterterrorism Analytical Center which included space refurbishment, computer hardware, analytical software, and training. It also refurbished three Border Guard Service outposts on the border with Afghanistan.

Tajikistan hosted Exercise Regional Cooperation 10, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. This exercise focused on regional responses to terrorism and strengthening cooperation among Central Asian countries. The Tajikistani government participated in regional security alliances, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Tajikistan prohibited activities by groups it considered extremist, including the Tablighi Jamaat. It closely monitored groups it listed as terrorist organizations, including the IMU and Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT).