President Imomali Rakhmonov's spokesman, Zafar Saidov, said many of the hostages had been freed, and a number of rebels captured. He gave no details of casualties in the attack.

He said: "An as yet unknown number of hostage held by rebels were freed as a result of military action in Khojand. The rebels there were utterly defeated."

BBC Correspondent Louise Hidalgo: Rebellion a serious blow to the government

The Tajik Government says the whole of Khojand is back in its hands, although fierce fighting is continuing in the town of Ayni.

More than 200 people have been killed in less than a week, after a renegade militia commander, Makhmud Khudoberdiyev, seized much of Khojand and the surrounding area.

Disputed peace

He said the north had gained little from a peace deal which ended Tajikistan's five-year civil war.

Former Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdulladzhanov and other ex-government officials were involved in organising the rebellion, said Mr Saidov.

Mr Khudoiberdyev, who led an estimated 1,000 rebels into battle during the uprising, also staged an abortive coup attempt in August last year.

Tajikistan's secular government and its Islamic opposition waged a five-year civil war that ended last year with an agreement to form a coalition government.

The rebels are opposing the deal which would bring the Islamic opposition into government.