The Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan increased this Sunday to 36 the number of deaths due to armed clashes on the border with Tajikistan, which broke out this week. “The total number of victims of the armed conflict in the Batken (border) province of Kyrgyzstan stands at 36“, Said the Ministry of Health, quoted by the portal 24.kg. According to medical sources, the number of injured is close to 130.
The latest toll reported by Kyrgyzstan was 24 dead and 103 wounded. Authorities also reported the evacuation of more than 130,000 people from border areas.
Tajikistan has not yet given official figures of possible deaths in the clashes, which, according to some sources, are 30. The ceasefire reached so far between the two former Soviet republics has not been able to stop hostilities for long and the parties they have accused each other of their non-compliance.
The Kyrgyz authorities accused the Tajik forces this Saturday of violating the ceasefire declared on the common border the day before and resuming mortar attacks against Kyrgyz towns.
“In violation of previously reached agreements, the Tajik side started firing mortars at Paski Arik village in the Bakten region from 0850 hours“said a statement from the Kyrgyz Border Service on Telegram.
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The note adds that the Kyrgyz guards are taking measures to stabilize the situation. For their part, the Tajik authorities pointed to Kyrgyz forces responsible for shooting at a Tajik border post in Isfara, in the north of the country.
So far, Kyrgyzstan, which yesterday evacuated more than 130,000 people from border areas with Tajikistan, has reported 24 military and civilian deaths from Tajik attacks. Meanwhile, the number of the injured, according to medical sources, exceeded 100 people.
The Tajik Ministry of the Interior, for its part, stated that the shooting by the Kyrgyz military had caused “victims among civilians”, without specifying their number. In an attempt to calm tensions, the leaders of the two countries held a meeting on the sidelines of the summit of the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Friday.
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the #kyrgyz soldier was left alone on the battlefield in the middle of the shooting. the #Tajik side does not shoot at him, and they call him to their place. Even one of the soldiers wants to run to his aid from him. However, they were wary of snipers from #kyrgyzstan. pic.twitter.com/tYuuL8TSOr
— Shahnaz Kamelzade شهناز کامل زاده (@nozjon) September 16, 2022
Last Wednesday between the two Asian republics another incident took place, as a result of which at least 11 people were injured, including civilians, but the situation calmed down after negotiations between both parties. The recurrent conflicts in the area are due to the fact that, of the 980 kilometers of border shared by these two former Soviet republics in Central Asia, only about 600 have been demarcated.
The most serious incident in recent years occurred in April 2021, when up to 43 people died and more than 250 were injured.
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