Two reported killed in clashes between Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards

BISHKEK, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards exchanged fireplace in three separate incidents in a border dispute on Wednesday, killing a minimum of two folks, officers on either side mentioned.

The clashes got here on the eve of a regional safety summit, and a day after new preventing between Armenia and Azerbaijan raised fears of instability spreading to different elements of the previous Soviet Union whereas Russian forces struggle in Ukraine.

Kyrgyz border guards accused the Tajiks of getting taken positions at part of the border that has not been demarcated. The Tajik facet mentioned Kyrgyz guards had opened fireplace on a Tajik outpost with none provocation.

Clashes on the border happen often, and final yr nearly triggered an all-out conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, each allies of Russia that host Russian army bases.

Tajik safety sources mentioned two border guards had been killed and 11 folks together with 5 civilians injured on their facet of the frontier.

Kyrgyzstan mentioned a minimum of two of its servicemen and two civilians have been wounded, and that fireplace had additionally been exchanged in two different areas in Batken province, a southern areabordering Uzbekistan in addition to Tajikistan. learn extra

Russia’s International Ministry urged either side to “return the state of affairs to the political and diplomatic enviornment and collectively stop any type of provocation”, including:

“We categorical our readiness to help the events in reaching a long-term, mutually acceptable answer to frame points, utilizing Russia’s wealthy expertise in border demarcation, together with with its Central Asian neighbours.

Kyrgyz media confirmed movies of residents of 1 border village leaving houses, saying that they had been shelled from the Tajik facet. Tajik media additionally confirmed kids being evacuated from a college in a border village.

Kyrgyzstan’s border guard service mentioned talks to finish hostilities have been underneath approach.

Kyrgyz and Tajik leaders are anticipated to attend a summit of the Shanghai Safety Organisation in Uzbekistan this week alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese language chief Xi Jinping and different regional leaders.

Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko in Bishkek and Nazarali Pirnazarov in Dushanbe
Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Modifying by Michael Perry, Andrew Heavens, William Maclean and David Gregorio

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