At least 20 prisoners and two guards were killed in clashes in a heavily fortified prison in the northern town of Khojand overnight, security sources said.
An official at the Interior Ministry said the riots began when he attacked a prisoner, who authorities say were members of the Dahedash organization, a prison guard.
The news agency "Agence France Presse" a security source, said that "about 20 prisoners" died in the clashes, which also caused the deaths of two guards.
Tajikistan regularly reports arrests and convictions of militants. Last July, an organization calling for an attack claimed the lives of four western tourists in Tajikistan.
