Kyrgyzstan says the actions of the Tajik side do not comply with the agreements reached during the meeting of the heads of the two states on July 26, 2019. Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Tajik Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan over the Monday deadly clash on the border, according to Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry press service.
Kyrgyz First Deputy Foreign Minister Nuran Niyazaliyev reportedly handed over a note of protest to Tajik Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Suhrob Olimzoda expressing a strong protest against the illegal actions of the border troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan, the first to fire at the Maksat and Sai border posts of the Kyrgyz Republic, resulting in the death of one and seven other servicemen of the State Border Service were wounded.
Also, seven civilians of Kyrgyzstan, including a minor, reportedly received gunshot wounds of varying severity, the indicated border posts and houses of local residents, citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic were damaged.
“This incident was the result of the construction by the Tajik side of a military observation post on a disputable stretch of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, which was started without coordination with the Kyrgyz side, and the Tajik side is fully responsible for aggravating the situation in the border regions,” says the note..
In addition, the Tajik ambassador was reportedly given information on the facts of unlawful and provocative actions on the part of citizens, local authorities and representatives of the competent bodies of Tajikistan during August-September of this year, recorded by the Kyrgyz side.
The Kyrgyz side appealed to the Tajik side with a demand to take urgent measures in order to avoid further aggravation of the situation, joint investigation of the incident and prosecution of those responsible.
Niyazaliyev emphasized that all existing problems should be resolved through dialogue and at the negotiating table in the spirit of good-neighborly relations between the two states.
It was noted that the actions of the Tajik side do not comply with the agreements reached during the meeting of the heads of the two states on July 26, 2019, aimed at maintaining peace and harmony between the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as at preventing incidents in the border areas of the two states.
Recall, a shoot-out broke out Monday evening following a dispute over construction at a non-demarcated section of the border and both sides blamed each other for starting the shooting.
Officials in Tajikistan say three Tajik border guards were killed and five others were wounded in an exchange of gunfire.
The Kyrgyz border service said one of its men, 40-year-old Ravshan Muminov, was also killed. According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Health, 13 Kyrgyz citizens were wounded in the unrest.
The clash reportedly stopped at 9:30 pm and officials are taking measures to prevent further escalation.
