Government troops in Tajikistan have stormed a key fortress in the northern city of Khojand where rebels had been holding dozens of its troops hostage.

By the early hours of Sunday morning government soldiers were clearing the wounded from the 10th Century citadel in the centre of Khojand, where for almost four days they battled with the rebels.

The road outside was strewn with spent cartridges and parts of nearby buildings were blackened and burnt by fire.

One hundred soldiers, who had flown in on Saturday to reinforce the government attack emerged.

Some were wounded, others elated at the victory. But one said it cost their unit alone 20 men.

Dressed in dirty fatigues and wearing bandannas, with spare magazines strapped to their chests, they climbed into two buses and headed home for Dushanbe, the Tajik capital.

In the rest of Khojand, residents were slowly emerging onto the streets to see the destruction that had been wrought.

Most were just relieved that it all seemed to be over, though few seemed to blame the rebels for bringing war to the city which until now had escaped fighting in five years of conflict.

Government soldiers said some rebels managed to escape from the citadel and there are reports of clashes on the outskirts of Khojand as the rebels retreat west.

The government is firmly back in control of Tajikistan's second city but the task of counting the dead and the wounded and repairing the damage done is only just beginning.