DUSHANBE, October 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — The main border troops directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) has not confirmed the report released by some Kyrgyz media that unknown group has allegedly crossed into Kyrgyzstan from Tajik territory.
Some Kyrgyz media reported on October 15 that unknown group numbering some eight people illegally crossed into Kyrgyz territory from the Tajik territory (the settlement of Chorkuh in Sughd’s Isfara district) on October 14 at about 11:10 p.m. The incident allegedly took place not far from the city of Batken in an area patrolled by Kyrgyz frontier Kok-Tash. When Kyrgyz border troops tried to stop the trespassers, they opened fire on the border guards and hid in the mountain area in the Kyrgyz territory, the Kyrgyz media reported.
In the meantime, an official statement, released by Tajik border service’s press service, says that Tajik border troops and law enforcement authorities did not pursue any criminal group in the Isfara district on October 14.
“Indeed, our border guards on routine patrol heard shooting near the Kyrgyz frontier outpost Kok-Tash. In this connection, Tajik border guards were put on alert and we organized interaction, including exchange of information about the emerging situation, with Kyrgyz border guards,” said the statement, “Operation to spot and detain unknown criminal group that engaged with Kyrgyz border guards is under way.”
Tajik border service noted that the exact strength of the group and national belonging of its members have not yet been identified.
“The Kyrgyz side does not have exact and reliable information about armed persons’ penetration into the Tajik territory that was confirmed during a telephone conversation of the chief of the Tajik border troops staff, Major-General Sharaf Fayzulloyev, with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Colonel Kurbanych Sarybayev,” the source at the Tajik border service said.
