Americans rush to the Caspian Sea on the shoulders of the "booths"
The Turkmen service of Radio Azatlyk reports of a clash on the Turkmen-Afghan border, in which almost a platoon of Turkmen border guards was killed.
The bodies of the dead warriors, three of whom were residents of the Balkan velayat, and most of Dashoguz, were handed over to families in metal coffins. Relatives of the fallen are warned about "non-disclosure."
It is reported that the incident took place almost three weeks ago at the border of Kushka (Mary-Serkhetabat) - Takhtybazar, when an attempt was made to break through drug smugglers from the territory of the adjacent Afghan province of Badagis.
However, the number of losses among border guards raises serious doubts that this is a conventional smuggling.
“On the Afghan side of the border, a suspect in the illicit drug trafficking group opened fire and killed three Turkmen soldiers. After that, the military from the garrison announced the alarm and opened fire to kill. In a shootout lasting six hours, suspected drug dealers injured dozens and killed Turkmen soldiers around 25, ”a Radio Azatlyk correspondent reported.
Most likely, we are talking about a double ambush. The situation could develop as follows: the militants waited for the border patrol and fired at it, causing casualties. The mangroup summoned to help got into a well-prepared basic ambush and was practically destroyed.
Of course, all drug trafficking in Afghanistan is under the control of armed groups. So, until recently, up to 80 percent of the production of Afghan heroin and its traffic were controlled by the extremist organization Taliban banned in Russia. Recently, this “business”, as well as control over territories, has been vigorously “squeezed out” by the Taliban terrorists of the IG (“Islamic State” is a terrorist organization, banned in Russia).
However, in any case, you can be sure that what happened is hardly directly related to drug trafficking. Smugglers prefer to bribe the border guards, and not to make war with them.
It should be noted that the official Ashgabat denies not only the loss, but also the very fact of a clash. However, the leadership of Turkmenistan has always denied both casualties and attacks on its military and border guards.
But in the event that the message of “Radio Azatlyk” is true, it can be said with confidence that what happened is not just a “routine clash” of border guards with drug couriers, but a well-designed and well-executed operation of terrorists. The objectives of which can be different: from reconnaissance in force to attempts to force pressure on Ashkhabad.
Be that as it may, the battle on the border of the province of Badagis and the Mary region (if it had taken place) took place against the background of a sharp aggravation of Afghan territory on the border with Turkmenistan.
In particular, fierce fighting takes place literally a few kilometers from the Turkmen border in Jowzjan province in Darzab district, where the terrorists were able to surround the military and police over 120.
No less intense confusions take place in the province of Badghis, where the militants took two checkpoints at the end of June, and then the base of the Armed Forces IRA. Now, having placed machine guns and anti-aircraft guns on the dominant heights, they are beating off all attempts by the military to return the lost base.
It is easy to see that the terrorists literally rush to the northern border, trying to take under their complete control the entire territory adjacent to it.
This is a great reminiscent of the bloody battles on the Afghan-Turkmen border, which began in the spring of 2015 and continued with short breaks all summer. Then the IS militants stepped up their activities in the northwestern provinces of Afghanistan, Herat, Badghis and Faryab, where a large Turkmen population lives. There, the local Taliban formations took the side of the Islamic State.
In April — June, 2015 battles took place in the district of Marchak of the Afghan province of Badghis and the district of Kushka-Kukhna of the province of Herat. These areas are located on the border with Turkmenistan.
During the attack on Marchak, 600 fighters participated in the battles, and 250 fighters participated in the attack on Kushki-Kukhna.
At the same time there were reports of the death of 12 officers and conscripts from Turkmen military units stationed on the Afghan border.
According to a number of experts, the goal of the militants of the IG, even today and three years ago, may be the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, the destruction of which will deal a terrible blow to the Turkmen economy and will become a big problem for China. Moreover, both Qatar, which is not only a competitor of Turkmenistan in the struggle for the Far Eastern market, but also one of the main sponsors of the IG, and the United States can be interested in this.
Here it should be noted some "strangeness" of the appearance of "Caliphate" in the north of Afghanistan.
Recall, the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly announced information about flights in different parts of Afghanistan, "unidentified aircraft, seen in support of local militants" Islamic State.
Russia's foreign policy department reported that it is a question of regular flights operated both by airplanes and “unknown accessories” helicopters that deliver weapon, ammunition and explosives to gangs of terrorists operating in the three northern provinces of the country: Jawzdan, Faryab and Sari-Pule.
The issue of the ownership of the IS’s “air supply” is, of course, purely rhetorical, given that the Afghan Air Force is chronically short of serviceable air equipment and qualified flight personnel, and besides them aviation NATO, nobody flies over Afghanistan.
By the way, the Afghan Internet portal Payam-e Aftab published material about the detention of 2017 in January in the district Kohistanan of the northern province of Sari-Pul of three US servicemen with a large batch of weapons. At the same time, IG militants with a large amount of money, who were planning to buy these weapons from the Americans, were seized there.
Later, however, under unclear circumstances, the US military was released from custody and transferred to its command, and all documents, including interrogation materials, money, and weapons, “mysteriously” disappeared.
Also, the governor of the province of Sari-Pul M. Vahdat publicly confirmed information about the night landing of two unmarked helicopters on the territory controlled by extremists in Sayad county, which then proceeded in the direction of Mazar-i-Sharif, where the Camp Marmol NATO military base is located.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai once again directly called the organizers of the "air bridge".
In an interview with the Turkish state news agency Anadolu, he pointed out that the Afghans are completely “obliged” to the United States by the appearance of the IG on the territory of their country.
“The US military contingent has been in Afghanistan to fight terrorism since 2001. At the same time, the terrorist threat in Afghanistan is growing every day. The US military only helps to strengthen the positions of the IG, ”said Karzai.
The ex-president believes that Washington is not interested in a complete victory over terrorism in his country, and it needs active gangs in Afghanistan to justify its military presence in this country of major geopolitical importance.
However, there is no doubt that this is not the only goal of the Americans. There is no doubt that the “enclave” of the IG is created by them as a springboard for the expansion of terrorists into Central Asia.
This confirms the localization of the Caliphate bases in the north of the country. In particular, according to Muhammad Nur Rahmoni, chairman of the Council of Sari-Pul province (bordered by Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), the main base of the ISIL militants is located in the town of Shohtut of Sayyod district, the Taliban training camps are located in the territory of Kohistanan, Sozma Kala and in the village of Laki in the center the province of Sari-Pul.
The military leader of the Caliphate in this province is a retired Pakistani general, Shaykh Nido Muhammad Nadim. He has a large group of foreign advisers and instructors at his disposal.
And most of the militants are foreigners. In addition to the usual Uzbeks, Tajiks, and other people from the post-Soviet space, there are those whose local and national identity cannot be identified by the locals.
The second sign of the aspiration of the Afghan wing of the IG to the North is the national composition of the middle and senior “Amirs”.
So, if among advisers and instructors there are Pakistanis, Saudis and even Anglo-Saxons, then “political instructors” and field commanders are all Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen and Kyrgyz.
In particular, the head of the Afghan IG Azizulla, the son of the now deceased leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) Tahir Yuldashev.
IMU in 2014 year joined the IG. And in the autumn of 2016, under rather strange circumstances, Azizullah Yuldashev was released from an American prison at the base of Bagram near Kabul.
And then he was transported to the county of Darzab, Jowzjan province, in the north of the IRA, where 25 militants from his father's associates were waiting for him.
Very soon, a new gang subjugated the armed Taliban formations in several districts of Jowzjan, Faryab and Sari-Pul provinces, forcing the local population to swear allegiance to the IG.
The whole northern group of “caliphaters” (the eastern one is concentrated in the province of Nangarhar) was under Yuldashev’s hand.
The success of Yuldashev’s sources from the Afghan special services is attributed to the fact that he left the Bagram jail a very wealthy man, not constrained by the means with which he generously paid off other loyalty to other jihadists.
At the same time, the choice of Turkmenistan as a priority goal is not accidental.
First, unlike Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan, which are in allied relations with Russia and are counting on its military assistance, Turkmenistan has long held the concept of neutrality, which played an advantageous role in the economic development of the country, but in a situation like this, could deprive Turkmenistan military support, as the country has no military-political allies.
Secondly, the armed forces of Turkmenistan, despite the general well-being of the country, which is considered one of the richest countries in the region, have never been distinguished by a high level of combat readiness.
Finally, the population of Turkmenistan is small and dispersed, which creates certain problems in the way of organizing local defense.
Of course, the neighbors of the republic, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Russia, will do everything not to allow this country to become a foothold of terrorists. But the fact is that Ashgabat sees in “excessive” cooperation with its neighbors a threat to its independence. This is the reason for Turkmen isolationism.
And it is quite possible to assume that under certain conditions the Turkmen leadership would prefer to accept "help in the fight against terrorism" from the hands of the United States, naively believing that, because of their remoteness, they pose less threat to the sovereignty of the country.
Recall that after the fighting of the summer of 2015, Ashgabat asked for help from Washington, then the current president of the country Berdymukhamedov provided the Americans with an airfield in Mary for the transit of goods to Afghanistan. There is even information that there are (seemingly) PMCs from the USA and Great Britain present on the territory of Turkmenistan.
That is, it cannot be excluded that the current aggravation is the desire of Washington to more firmly and firmly establish itself in the Caspian region.
The bodies of the dead warriors, three of whom were residents of the Balkan velayat, and most of Dashoguz, were handed over to families in metal coffins. Relatives of the fallen are warned about "non-disclosure."
It is reported that the incident took place almost three weeks ago at the border of Kushka (Mary-Serkhetabat) - Takhtybazar, when an attempt was made to break through drug smugglers from the territory of the adjacent Afghan province of Badagis.
However, the number of losses among border guards raises serious doubts that this is a conventional smuggling.
“On the Afghan side of the border, a suspect in the illicit drug trafficking group opened fire and killed three Turkmen soldiers. After that, the military from the garrison announced the alarm and opened fire to kill. In a shootout lasting six hours, suspected drug dealers injured dozens and killed Turkmen soldiers around 25, ”a Radio Azatlyk correspondent reported.
Most likely, we are talking about a double ambush. The situation could develop as follows: the militants waited for the border patrol and fired at it, causing casualties. The mangroup summoned to help got into a well-prepared basic ambush and was practically destroyed.
Of course, all drug trafficking in Afghanistan is under the control of armed groups. So, until recently, up to 80 percent of the production of Afghan heroin and its traffic were controlled by the extremist organization Taliban banned in Russia. Recently, this “business”, as well as control over territories, has been vigorously “squeezed out” by the Taliban terrorists of the IG (“Islamic State” is a terrorist organization, banned in Russia).
However, in any case, you can be sure that what happened is hardly directly related to drug trafficking. Smugglers prefer to bribe the border guards, and not to make war with them.
It should be noted that the official Ashgabat denies not only the loss, but also the very fact of a clash. However, the leadership of Turkmenistan has always denied both casualties and attacks on its military and border guards.
But in the event that the message of “Radio Azatlyk” is true, it can be said with confidence that what happened is not just a “routine clash” of border guards with drug couriers, but a well-designed and well-executed operation of terrorists. The objectives of which can be different: from reconnaissance in force to attempts to force pressure on Ashkhabad.
Be that as it may, the battle on the border of the province of Badagis and the Mary region (if it had taken place) took place against the background of a sharp aggravation of Afghan territory on the border with Turkmenistan.
In particular, fierce fighting takes place literally a few kilometers from the Turkmen border in Jowzjan province in Darzab district, where the terrorists were able to surround the military and police over 120.
No less intense confusions take place in the province of Badghis, where the militants took two checkpoints at the end of June, and then the base of the Armed Forces IRA. Now, having placed machine guns and anti-aircraft guns on the dominant heights, they are beating off all attempts by the military to return the lost base.
It is easy to see that the terrorists literally rush to the northern border, trying to take under their complete control the entire territory adjacent to it.
This is a great reminiscent of the bloody battles on the Afghan-Turkmen border, which began in the spring of 2015 and continued with short breaks all summer. Then the IS militants stepped up their activities in the northwestern provinces of Afghanistan, Herat, Badghis and Faryab, where a large Turkmen population lives. There, the local Taliban formations took the side of the Islamic State.
In April — June, 2015 battles took place in the district of Marchak of the Afghan province of Badghis and the district of Kushka-Kukhna of the province of Herat. These areas are located on the border with Turkmenistan.
During the attack on Marchak, 600 fighters participated in the battles, and 250 fighters participated in the attack on Kushki-Kukhna.
At the same time there were reports of the death of 12 officers and conscripts from Turkmen military units stationed on the Afghan border.
According to a number of experts, the goal of the militants of the IG, even today and three years ago, may be the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, the destruction of which will deal a terrible blow to the Turkmen economy and will become a big problem for China. Moreover, both Qatar, which is not only a competitor of Turkmenistan in the struggle for the Far Eastern market, but also one of the main sponsors of the IG, and the United States can be interested in this.
Here it should be noted some "strangeness" of the appearance of "Caliphate" in the north of Afghanistan.
Recall, the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly announced information about flights in different parts of Afghanistan, "unidentified aircraft, seen in support of local militants" Islamic State.
Russia's foreign policy department reported that it is a question of regular flights operated both by airplanes and “unknown accessories” helicopters that deliver weapon, ammunition and explosives to gangs of terrorists operating in the three northern provinces of the country: Jawzdan, Faryab and Sari-Pule.
The issue of the ownership of the IS’s “air supply” is, of course, purely rhetorical, given that the Afghan Air Force is chronically short of serviceable air equipment and qualified flight personnel, and besides them aviation NATO, nobody flies over Afghanistan.
By the way, the Afghan Internet portal Payam-e Aftab published material about the detention of 2017 in January in the district Kohistanan of the northern province of Sari-Pul of three US servicemen with a large batch of weapons. At the same time, IG militants with a large amount of money, who were planning to buy these weapons from the Americans, were seized there.
Later, however, under unclear circumstances, the US military was released from custody and transferred to its command, and all documents, including interrogation materials, money, and weapons, “mysteriously” disappeared.
Also, the governor of the province of Sari-Pul M. Vahdat publicly confirmed information about the night landing of two unmarked helicopters on the territory controlled by extremists in Sayad county, which then proceeded in the direction of Mazar-i-Sharif, where the Camp Marmol NATO military base is located.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai once again directly called the organizers of the "air bridge".
In an interview with the Turkish state news agency Anadolu, he pointed out that the Afghans are completely “obliged” to the United States by the appearance of the IG on the territory of their country.
“The US military contingent has been in Afghanistan to fight terrorism since 2001. At the same time, the terrorist threat in Afghanistan is growing every day. The US military only helps to strengthen the positions of the IG, ”said Karzai.
The ex-president believes that Washington is not interested in a complete victory over terrorism in his country, and it needs active gangs in Afghanistan to justify its military presence in this country of major geopolitical importance.
However, there is no doubt that this is not the only goal of the Americans. There is no doubt that the “enclave” of the IG is created by them as a springboard for the expansion of terrorists into Central Asia.
This confirms the localization of the Caliphate bases in the north of the country. In particular, according to Muhammad Nur Rahmoni, chairman of the Council of Sari-Pul province (bordered by Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), the main base of the ISIL militants is located in the town of Shohtut of Sayyod district, the Taliban training camps are located in the territory of Kohistanan, Sozma Kala and in the village of Laki in the center the province of Sari-Pul.
The military leader of the Caliphate in this province is a retired Pakistani general, Shaykh Nido Muhammad Nadim. He has a large group of foreign advisers and instructors at his disposal.
And most of the militants are foreigners. In addition to the usual Uzbeks, Tajiks, and other people from the post-Soviet space, there are those whose local and national identity cannot be identified by the locals.
The second sign of the aspiration of the Afghan wing of the IG to the North is the national composition of the middle and senior “Amirs”.
So, if among advisers and instructors there are Pakistanis, Saudis and even Anglo-Saxons, then “political instructors” and field commanders are all Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen and Kyrgyz.
In particular, the head of the Afghan IG Azizulla, the son of the now deceased leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) Tahir Yuldashev.
IMU in 2014 year joined the IG. And in the autumn of 2016, under rather strange circumstances, Azizullah Yuldashev was released from an American prison at the base of Bagram near Kabul.
And then he was transported to the county of Darzab, Jowzjan province, in the north of the IRA, where 25 militants from his father's associates were waiting for him.
Very soon, a new gang subjugated the armed Taliban formations in several districts of Jowzjan, Faryab and Sari-Pul provinces, forcing the local population to swear allegiance to the IG.
The whole northern group of “caliphaters” (the eastern one is concentrated in the province of Nangarhar) was under Yuldashev’s hand.
The success of Yuldashev’s sources from the Afghan special services is attributed to the fact that he left the Bagram jail a very wealthy man, not constrained by the means with which he generously paid off other loyalty to other jihadists.
At the same time, the choice of Turkmenistan as a priority goal is not accidental.
First, unlike Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan, which are in allied relations with Russia and are counting on its military assistance, Turkmenistan has long held the concept of neutrality, which played an advantageous role in the economic development of the country, but in a situation like this, could deprive Turkmenistan military support, as the country has no military-political allies.
Secondly, the armed forces of Turkmenistan, despite the general well-being of the country, which is considered one of the richest countries in the region, have never been distinguished by a high level of combat readiness.
Finally, the population of Turkmenistan is small and dispersed, which creates certain problems in the way of organizing local defense.
Of course, the neighbors of the republic, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Russia, will do everything not to allow this country to become a foothold of terrorists. But the fact is that Ashgabat sees in “excessive” cooperation with its neighbors a threat to its independence. This is the reason for Turkmen isolationism.
And it is quite possible to assume that under certain conditions the Turkmen leadership would prefer to accept "help in the fight against terrorism" from the hands of the United States, naively believing that, because of their remoteness, they pose less threat to the sovereignty of the country.
Recall that after the fighting of the summer of 2015, Ashgabat asked for help from Washington, then the current president of the country Berdymukhamedov provided the Americans with an airfield in Mary for the transit of goods to Afghanistan. There is even information that there are (seemingly) PMCs from the USA and Great Britain present on the territory of Turkmenistan.
That is, it cannot be excluded that the current aggravation is the desire of Washington to more firmly and firmly establish itself in the Caspian region.
Information