4 Western tourists killed in Tajikistan

ASTANA -- Armed attackers Sunday killed four foreign tourists in Tajikistan in what was initially reported to be a road accident, Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda said Monday.

The tourists, who were killed while cycling some 90 km southeast of capital Dushanbe, were from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The attackers jumped out of their car and attacked the group with knives on the road in Khatlon Province, according to the minister.

One suspect has been detained while one was killed in an operation conducted by local law enforcement bodies. Three other suspects are still at large, Rahimzoda said, adding that a special team has been set up to investigate the attack.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Monday conveyed his condolences to U.S. President Donald Trump, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Swiss President Alain Berset.