A former Tajik elite police commander that defected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was trained in counter terrorism tactics on United States soil under a State Department program, officials say.
The ISIS fighter, who appeared in a new online video calling for Jihad, identified as former Tajikistan police commander Col. Gulmurod Khalimov. The State Department has confirmed the news, according to CNN.
"From 2003-2014 Colonel Khalimov participated in five counterterrorism training courses in the United States and in Tajikistan, through the Department of State's Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program," State Department spokeswoman Pooja Jhunjhunwala told CNN on Saturday.
Khalimov was trained in a variety of fields, such as crisis response, tactical management of special events and tactical leadership training, a State Department official said.
The ISIS fighter disappeared in May, but Tajikistan authorities had refused to comment on his whereabouts since his disappearance, BBC News reported.
Khalimov said in the video that he participated in programs on American soil three times. He appeared in black dress with a sniper rifle in the 10-minute video, which was apparently recorded in a Syrian camp.
"Listen, you American pigs: I've been to America three times. I saw how you train soldiers to kill Muslims," he says in Russian, according to The Independent.
"You taught your soldiers how to surround and attack, in order to exterminate Islam and Muslims. God willing, we will find your towns, we will come to your homes, and we will kill you," he added.
"Listen, you dogs, the president and ministers, If only you knew how many boys, our brothers are here, waiting and yearning to return to reestablish sharia law there," he said while addressing Tajikistan's President Emamoli Rahmon and his ministers, The Washington Post reported.
Tajikistan is believed to have 200 to 500 nationals fighting for ISIS.
