New footage has emerged that appears to show four western cyclists killed in Tajikistan were the victims of a deliberate attack that began with them being forced off the road and ended in an assault with knives and guns.
The deaths of the four people – two Americans, one Swiss and one Dutch citizen – were originally reported as a hit-and-run incident that occurred on Sunday about 150 miles south of the capital, Dushanbe.
Late on Monday, the Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, although it did not provide further detail or evidence for its claim.
Tajik officials said on Monday that the cyclists, who were touring the former Soviet country, had been attacked with knives and firearms after being rammed by the car, which indicated that the deaths were a result of murder.
The video, released by RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, shows a black sedan swerving to run down people spread across a rural road. The unidentified person filming the video reacts with surprise as the car appears to knock a person off the side of the road.
The US-backed news service reported that the video’s origins were unclear but it appeared to match photographs from the scene of the attack.
Tajikistan’s interior minister confirmed that the attackers had knives and firearms. Two suspects had been killed and four had been arrested, according to the official.
Tajik authorities did not say what the motive was for the attack. “We are considering all possibilities,” said Ramazon Rakhimov, the interior minister, according to AFP news agency. “We can’t say if it is an act of terror,” he added.
Tajikistan is one of the poorest of the former Soviet states and has been battling against the spread of radical Islam for years. The campaign has been stepped up in recent years under its strongman leader, Emomali Rakhmon.
