Alpha Group
Альфа
Active1991 (1991)
Country Tajikistan
BranchState Committee for National Security
TypeSpetsnaz
RoleCounter-terrorism
Hostage rescue
Special operations
SizeClassified
Part ofState Committee for National Security
Garrison/HQDushanbe

The Tajik Alpha Group (Russian: Альфа) is an elite unit of the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan, tasked to conduct counter-terrorism operations in Tajikistan. The unit is modeled after the Soviet KGB's Alpha Group.

History

During the Tajik civil war, special forces units were formed to support the Tajik National Army, with the first of these units forming in 1991. The unit's first operators were drawn from the former Special Forces of the KGB of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic.[1] This laid the groundwork for the Alpha Group. Many members would later split off and form the 7th Airborne Assault Battalion in 1997.[2]

Post-USSR breakup

The elimination of the dissident warlord Rahmon Sanginov (also known as Rahmon Hitler) and his fighters in the summer 2001 is often described as the Tajik Alphas' first major successful operation.[3] In October 2010, during the government military operation against several renegade warlords in the Rasht Valley, a military helicopter carrying Alpha troops crashed near the village of Tavildara.[4] At least 19 members of the unit died as the result of the crash, leaving the SCNS with only 32 Alphas on duty.[5]

In September 2015, the Alphas' commander, Colonel Rustam Amakiev, along with another member of the unit were killed during clashes with the mutinous former Deputy Defense Minister Abduhalim Nazarzoda and his supporters.[6][7][8]

Role

Although little is known about the current size of the unit and the nature of its primary directives, the unit is formally designed for counter-terrorism tasks. The 2011 International Crisis Group report described the Alphas as "the only Tajik military unit with serious counter-insurgency expertise".[5]

The Alphas are often dispatched to the different areas of Tajikistan ahead of visits by the country's president. They are also the first to be dispatched during the sporadic outbreaks of violence throughout the country. It also has operated in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) to hunt wolves that attacked villagers in the mountainous regions.[9]

Commanders

  • Colonel Rustam Amakiev (until September 2015)[10]
  • Colonel Nazar Naimov (since 2015)[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Спецназ Таджикистана - спецподразделение Центральной Азии". tchest.org. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  2. ↑ "В Таджикистане День воинов-десантников отметили широкомасштабными учениями". tajikta.tj (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  3. ↑ Елков, Игорь (20 January 2006). "Мертвый сезон-2006: Что сегодня собой представляют спецслужбы бывших советских республик". Российская газета "Неделя". Российская газета. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Military Helicopter Crash In Tajikistan Kills 26". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Tajikistan: The Changing Insurgent Threats". The International Crisis Group. 24 May 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Tajikistan Confirms Death Of Mutinous Former Deputy Defense Minister". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RFE/RL's Tajik Service. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Special Forces Commander Killed In Tajik Clashes". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RFE/RL's Tajik Service. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "МВД и ГКНБ: В Ромите ликвидирован генерал Назарзода". Радио Озоди (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  9. ↑ "Servicemen of SCNS Alpha Group involved in hunting wolves in GBAO | Tajikistan News ASIA-Plus". asiaplustj.info. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  10. ↑ "Командир "Альфы" в Таджикистане погиб в ходе спецоперации". РИА Новости (in Russian). 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  11. ↑ "Временно исполняющим обязанности командира группы "Альфа" назначен полковник Наимов". Радио Озоди (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-08.
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