Baku, Azerbaijan, July 11
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend: The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Tajik Foreign Ministry concerning an incident which took place on their common border on July 10, according to a report from the Kyrgyz, July 11.
The Kyrgyz note required that Tajikistan avoid similar incidents and asked they be prevented in the future.
Kyrgyz Vice Prime Minister Abdyrakhman Mamataliev and Tajik Deputy Prime Minister Muradoli Alimardon are currently holding negotiations in the Kyrgyz Batken region. Tge purpose of the visit is to resolve the situation on the border.
A skirmish took place on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border between the border guards of the two countries in the Tamdyk area of Kyrgyz's Batken region, Kyrgyz border service said.
Kyrgyzstan assures that the shootout was provoked by Tajik citizens unlawfully attempting to build a pipeline from Tajikistan to the Tajik enclave of Vorukh, which is surrounded by Kyrgyz territory. Kyrgyzstan border guards arrived at the site and demanded "to stop all work," but were stoned in response, and were forced to fire warning shots in the air, Kyrgyz Border Service said. A nearby Tajik border detachment arrived on the scene and opened fire on their Kyrgyz colleagues, the Kyrgyz Border Service said.
Meanwhile the Main Department of the Border Troops of Tajik National Security Committee said that the incident took place on Tajik territory where Kyrgyz border guards opened fire on local residents repairing water pipelines located 0.5 kilometers from Kyrgyz border, Asia-Plus reported. Tajik border guards did not shoot a gut in the incident, Tajik side assures.
One local resident was killed and eight people including two border guards from Tajik side were injured in the incident.
Among the Kyrgyz border guards no one was wounded or injured, Kyrgyz Border Service earlier said.
Edited by C.S