Tajikistan says rebel commander killed

The authorities in Tajikistan say a renegade warlord, who government forces have been pursuing for more than a month, has been killed.

The Tajik interior ministry said Rahmon Sanginov - who it regards as one of the country's most wanted criminals - died following a gun battle with security forces 20km (12 miles) east of the capital, Dushanbe.

Rahmon Sanginov was a former opposition commander, who refused to be integrated into the government forces under a 1997 peace deal.

He instead led a small group of dissident rebels on the outskirts of the capital. The Tajik authorities accused them of carrying out numerous killings and of being involved in the drugs trade.

The government finally launched a major operation against them in June after the group took five policemen hostage.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service