Who is responsible for terrorist attacks in Uzbekistan

For the last two days there has been a series of explosions in Uzbekistan.
These are the first explosions in Uzbekistan in the last five years. On March 29, blast in supermarket for children in Uzbek capital Tashkent killed 3 people, 20 more civilians were wounded.

A policeman was killed in the exchange of fire with the alleged terrorist when he tried to stop his vehicle leaving the city. Belts filled with explosives were found in the vehicle.

A terrorist exploded himself when trying to set explosives in Romitansky District of Bukhara region.

Spokesman for Uzbek Foreign ministry Ilhom Zakirov reported about several attempts of terrorist attacks on March 29 resulted in deaths of several people. He said that the suspects of the crimes had been arrested.

On March 30 there were more explosions in Uzbekistan. One of them happened near the post of the traffic police in Tashkent region. After the explosion unidentified criminals started firing at the policemen. The exchange of fire lasted for 10 minutes. There is information that a policeman and a civilian were killed.

The group of militants who had attacked the traffic police, barricaded themselves in a cottage. Special force is conducting the operation on assassinating the criminals. The cottage is encircled by the police.

Interfax reported that a van exploded near the dam of Charvakskoe water reservoir near Tshkent. The dam is a strategic object, if exploded, the water of the so-called “Charvakskoe Sea” may flood Tashkent.

 Uzbek authorities were too quick to announce capturing those responsible for the attacks. General Public Prosecutor Rashid Kadirov said that 11 suspects had been detained, and they are interrogated. In addition, 2 tons of explosives were found by the police.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov said in his TV address that the terrorist attacks had been prepared for six months and were conducted on the eve of Moslem holiday Navruz. The President said that the big scale of the attacks had required assistance from abroad. For the first time in the country history, there was an explosion conducted by a martyr female terrorist (in Tashkent supermarket).

According to Islam Karimov, Islamic organization “Hizb-ut-Tahrir” outlawed in Uzbekistan could organize the blasts. However, this Islamic organization denied the allegations in its statement made in London by saying that “we are not engaged in terrorism, violence and military actions.” 

The experts of the Anti-Terrorism Center for the former USSR said that the Islamic Party of Uzbekistan (previously called Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) - the organization having ties with al-Qaida - may be the organizer of the blasts.

Uzbekistan closed down its border with Kazakhstan on March 30, along with the check-points on the border with Tajikistan, to prevent the terrorist and their accomplices from escaping abroad.

About Hizb-ut-Tahrir 

The name of the organization is translated as “Islamic Party of Liberation” from Arabic.

This is a Sunnis religious and political organization established in 1953 in Jerusalem by judge of Shariat Court of Appeal Takiuddin an-Nabhani.  After his death in December 1977, Palestinian Kadim Zallum, born in 1925 and living in Jordahn, became the leader of the organization.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir  proclaims itself  “a political party whose ideology is Islam”. The purpose of this party is assisting to Moslems’ returning to the true Islamic way of life and promoting Islam worldwide by means of jihad. Hizb-ut-Tahrir sees re-establishing the untied theocratic Moslem  state – caliphate. The organization emphasizes that all its member have the purpose of absolute liberation from the domination of the “unfaithful”.

The organization does not name the time for re-establishing the caliphate and hopes entirely on “Allah assistance” in this.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir branches were active in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Turkey and Western Europe. After 1995 the organization started conducting its activity in Uzbekistan. In recent years there have been many reports about the arrests of Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s “extremists” in the countries of Central Asia – former republics of the USSR.

Source: Information agencies

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