Faizali Saidov () was a military leader from

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

who led forces of the

Popular Front of Tajikistan russian: Народный фронт Таджикистана, area=, headquarters=Dushanbe, clans=, leaders=Sangak Safarov and Safarali Kenjayev, active=1992–1997, caption=, image=, war=the Civil war in Tajikistan, native_name_lang=Tajik, foundat ...

during the

Tajikistani Civil War The Tajikistani Civil War ( tg, Ҷанги шаҳрвандии Тоҷикистон, translit=Jangi shahrvandiyi Tojikiston / Çangi shahrvandiji Toçikiston; russian: Гражданская война в Таджикистане), also known ...

Biography

His father was a Lakai- Uzbek while his mother was a Kulabi. He was born in 1964 and came from a sovkhoz near

Kurgan-Tyube , native_name_lang=tg , image_skyline = Бохтар 2018.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = Bokhtar in 2018 , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Tajikistan , pushpin_label_position =bott ...

. In September 1992, officers of the 191st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian 201st Motor Rifle Division seized tanks to be transferred to the Saidov in order to prevent the seizure of the city of Kurgan-Tyube by Islamist detachments. During the war, he led the 11th Independent Special Forces Brigade of the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, based out of the city of Kalininabad. Saidov’s 65-year-old father was mutilated and burnt to death by opposition forces, in violation of a deal to exchange him for

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

s freed by Saidov, as a result of which he began a crackdown against the opposition. After the front took control of

Dushanbe Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (r ...

, Saidov, laid siege to the headquarters to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (VKD) with a demand that he be given “some job.”

Death

He was assassinated on 29 March 1993, alongside

Sangak Safarov Sangak Murodovich Safarov (; 1 January 1928 — 29 March 1993) was a Tajik paramilitary leader and warlord who was one of the leaders of the Popular Front of Tajikistan during the Tajikistani Civil War. Also known as Bobo Sangak, although he did no ...

after an armed clash at his house. There are multiple versions of their deaths, including one where they kill each other as well as another where government troops were responsible for his death. The clash reportedly occurred during an argument over the fate of refugees living in

Taliban Afghanistan The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pashtu ...

. The government declared a state of emergency after their deaths. Saidov was succeeded as brigade commander by Izat Kuganov.

Legacy

On 24 June 1993, by order of the Council of Ministers led by

Abdumalik Abdullajanov Abdumalik Abdullayevich Abdullajanov (russian: Абдулладжанов, Абдумалик Абдуллаевич; tg, Абдумалик Абдуллоҷонов; born January 1, 1949) is a Tajikistani politician, born in Leninabad. He serve ...

, the name Faizali Saidov was attached to the 11th Brigade. It therefore became the 11th Independent Special Forces Brigade "''Faizali Saidov''". A memorial billboard commemorating Saidov is located in

Khatlon Region Khatlon Region ( tg, Вилояти Хатлон, ''Viloyati Xatlon''), one of the four provinces of Tajikistan ( tg, вилоят, ''Viloyat''), is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest ...

. There is a state farm named after Faizali Saidov in the

Kushoniyon District tg, Ноҳияи Кӯшониён , image_map = Location of Kushoniyon District in Tajikistan.png , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = , pushpin_mapsize = , pushpin_label_position = , pushpin_map_caption = , subdivi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saidov, Faizali Tajikistani people of Uzbek descent Tajikistani rebels People from Khatlon Region Tajikistani military personnel 1964 births 1993 deaths