DUSHANBE, November 13, Asia-Plus — Representatives from Tajik and Uzbek border services have gathered in Khujand, the capital of the Tajik northern province of Sughd, to discuss an incident that occurred on Tajikistan’s common border with Uzbekistan on November 6, Asia-Plus has learned from Khushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the border troops directorate of the State Committee for National Security.
“The Tajik border service confirms the fact of the incident on the border; however, we still refrain from giving further details of the incident,” the spokesman said, adding that official comments will probably be given on completion of the meeting in Khujand.
In the meantime, the November 12 “Press.uz.info” item titled “Unlawful and Provocative Actions of Tajik Border Guards on the Uzbek-Tajik Border Assume Recurrence Character” says that a group of Tajik nationals, numbering some 18 people, under support of armed two Tajik border guards allegedly tried to drive a tractor with a trailer loaded with mineral fertilizers stolen in the territory of Uzbekistan to the Tajik territory. According to Press.uz.info, the incident took place near the Uzbek border settlement of Karakyr on November 6, at around 9:20 p.m.
“Trespassers were throwing stones at Uzbek border guards and Tajik border guards were overtly threatening with their weapons, provoking further development of the incident, and demanding that the Uzbek border guards let the tractor pass,” the Uzbek news agency said.
Press.uz.info claims that one of Uzbek border guards fired three warning shots. “When the border guard was firing shots he received blow by stone into his chest, and as a result of the involuntary shot Tajik national 41-year-old Abdullo Atayev was wounded,” the Uzbek news agency reported.
It is not the first incident on the Tajik-Uzbek border. A year ago, Uzbek border authorities claimed that Tajik border guards had illegally crossed over into the Uzbek territory more than twenty times.
For its part, Tajik border service denied the majority of accusations as “unfounded.” We will recall that the press service of the Tajik Border Protection Committee on November 17, 2006 announced that an Uzbek border guard was shot and killed by Tajik border guards when a detachment of Uzbek servicemen allegedly crossed over into Tajikistan and ignored warning shots.
A total length of Tajikistan’s common border with Uzbekistan is more than 1,100 kilometers.
