Travelers crowd the entrance to the Chisinau airport in Moldova Friday, June 30, 2023, as it reopened after a lock down prompted by a shooting inside the terminal that left two people dead. A Tajikistan national who was denied entry into Moldova at its main international airport grabbed a guard's weapon and fatally shot two security officers Friday, officials said. One traveler also was wounded.(AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)
A baby sits on a suitcase as travelers stand outside the Chisinau airport in Moldova Friday, June 30, 2023, after being evacuated following a shooting inside the terminal that left two people dead. A Tajikistan national who was denied entry into Moldova at its main international airport grabbed a guard's weapon and fatally shot two security officers Friday, officials said. One traveler also was wounded.(AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)
Travelers crowd the entrance to the Chisinau airport in Moldova Friday, June 30, 2023, as it reopened after a lock down prompted by a shooting inside the terminal that left two people dead. A Tajikistan national who was denied entry into Moldova at its main international airport grabbed a guard's weapon and fatally shot two security officers Friday, officials said. One traveler also was wounded.(AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)
A baby sits on a suitcase as travelers stand outside the Chisinau airport in Moldova Friday, June 30, 2023, after being evacuated following a shooting inside the terminal that left two people dead. A Tajikistan national who was denied entry into Moldova at its main international airport grabbed a guard's weapon and fatally shot two security officers Friday, officials said. One traveler also was wounded.(AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — A Tajikistan national who fatally shot two security officers at Moldova’s main international airport is wanted in his native country in relation to the kidnapping of a Tajik bank official, authorities said.
The General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan named the assailant as Rustam Ashurov and alleged he was a member of an “organized criminal group†that kidnapped the deputy chairman of a bank in Dushanbe, the Central Asian country's capital, on June 23.
The prosecutor’s office said Ashurov, 43, a resident of Dushanbe, fled to via Turkey after a criminal investigation was launched “with the aim of going into hiding in EU countries.â€
After arriving at Chisinau International Airport on Friday, he was denied entry into the country and grabbed a guard’s weapon as he was being escorted away by officials, according to authorities. He fatally shot two security officers. One traveler was also wounded in the attack.
Ashurov sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized after special forces intervened to subdue him, Moldova’s acting prosecutor general, Ion Munteanu, said after the incident. He told reporters Saturday that his office filed a criminal case for “murder with aggravating circumstances†and said, “no case (has been) initiated for terrorism.â€
“The reason for the detention at the border was that the person could not clearly explain the reason for arrival and the purpose of being in the territory of the Republic of Moldova," Munteanu said, adding that the General Prosecutor’s Office “is in continuous discussions†with authorities in Tajikistan.
Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, identified the people killed Friday as a border police officer and an airport security employee.
The head of Moldova’s police, Viorel Cernauteanu, told reporters Saturday that “police exchanged fire with the attacker†during the incident, which unfolded at 5:13 p.m. local time
Asked Friday if Ashurov had connections to , Cernauteanu said there was no evidence that the suspect “has relationships with military or paramilitary structures†and he was not listed in any international search system.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, neighboring Moldova — a country with a population of about 2.6 million people, and a European Union candidate since June 2022 — has faced a long list of crises.
They included an acute winter energy crisis after Russia dramatically reduced gas supplies and recurring anti-government protests organized by a now-outlawed Russia-friendly political party against the ruling pro-Western administration.
Moldova’s leaders have also repeatedly of conducting campaigns to try , which, like Tajikistan, was a Soviet republic until 1991.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.
A family caught in a shootout between Montreal police and an armed suspect last ye…
The Toronto Blue Jays wasted a solid six-inning effort from starter Chris Bassitt …
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
