The Tajik government then launched a joint military operation on the 25 July in the city of Khorog with the aim of capturing Tolib Ayombekov, who was said to be behind the 21 July killing and the 19 September ambush.
Ayombekov had been a warlord during the 1992 to 1997 Tajik Civil War between the United Tajik Opposition and the government led by President Rahmon Nabiyev.