4 killed, 3 injured in copter crash in combat zone in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, October 6 (Itar-Tass) -- A helicopter gunship Mi-8 of the
Tajik National Guard crashed in eastern Tajikistan on Wednesday morning.
Four people, including all crewmen, died, another three servicemen were
injured and hospitalized, the spokeswoman of the National Guard commander
Khairinisso Komilova told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
The helicopter gunship crashed during a combat mission over the
eastern Rasht Region, where the governmental forces are fighting against
illegal armed units, she noted. Technical malfunctions are put forward as
a version of the crash. The detectives are working at the crash site.
Alongside, the governmental forces have blocked the Kamarob Gorge,
where the gunmen had entrenched, sources close to the military operation
reported. Seven members of the anti-governmental groups have been killed
in combat, a cache with a large amount of weapons, ammunition, medicines
and foodstuffs has been found in the last three days. The governmental
forces sustained some casualties. According to official reports, three
police commandoes were killed, but according to independent sources, five
servicemen were killed.
Meanwhile, on September 19, 26 servicemen were killed and died of
wounds in the gunfire at the Tajik military convoy in the Kamarob Gorge of
the eastern Rasht Region.