Sat 17 September 2022:
Kyrgyzstan has declared a state of emergency in the Batken region bordering Tajikistan amid clashes, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
The decision was taken on late Friday to ensure the safety of citizens, carry out work on the evacuation and resettlement of the population, prevent human losses and mobilize the relevant forces, according to a statement.
Clashes began at several sites on the border between two Central Asian republics on Friday morning.
Kyrgyzstan’s Health Ministry said at least 24 people were killed in the clashes.
Tensions primarily stem from a border dispute, including matters related to irrigation, smuggling and illegal border crossings.
Officials from the Kyrgyz border guard have accused Tajik forces of opening fire on several of its outposts in an escalation of tension two days after a brief confrontation between the two Central Asian nations.
The border guard said Kyrgyz forces were returning fire on Friday morning, as clashes took place along the length of the border, adding that Tajik forces were using tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and mortars. More than one-third of the 1,000km (600-mile) frontier remains disputed.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon are both attending a regional security summit in Uzbekistan and appeared, together with a number of other leaders, in a group photo for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at a gala dinner on Thursday.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, both former Soviet republics, host Russian military bases and have close ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also attending the Samarkand summit.
Skirmishes over the border are frequent and usually de-escalate quickly, although last year they almost led to an all-out war.
On Wednesday, Russia called on the two countries to take urgent measures to bring the situation on the border under control.
The latest flare-up in hostilities comes against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where it is facing a rapid counteroffensive that has forced its troops out of the northeastern Kharkiv region, and renewed fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
