A hostage exchange took place in Vorukh, Tajikistan’s exclave surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, today afternoon, Ghafourjon Jurayev, head of the village of Tojikion in Vorukh jamoat, told Asia-Plus by phone.
According to him, three Tajik nationals were beaten and taken hostage by Kyrgyz citizens in the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai with the help of Kyrgyz border guards.
“The Kyrgyz side deliberately does so in order to postpone the negotiations and get away from the agreements reached,” Ghafourjon Jurayev said.
Meanwhile, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of Kyrgyzstan to Batken Region Abdykarim Alimbayev told Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, today afternoon that three Kyrgyz nationals who were returning from Tamdyk to Ak-Sai have been detained by Tajik citizens.
According to him, they were released following bilateral negotiations carried out with participation of representatives of police and border services of the two countries.
Kyrgyzstan’s news agency 24.kg says that the detained Kyrgyz nationals have been beaten and currently the issue of their hospitalization is being resolved.
Recall, a dispute over irrigation water triggered a clash between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan occurred on April 28-29. The countries have agreed a complete ceasefire after the worst violence in decades along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border killed 55 people and wounded more than 270 other people.
Tajik authorities say 19 people were killed and 87 injured in the April -28-29 clashes along a disputed segment of the border with Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyz authorities have said that 36 Kyrgyz citizens died in the skirmishes, while 189 people were injured and 58,000 were evacuated.
The border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been the scene of unrest repeatedly since the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
Border talks between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan began in 2002. The countries share 976 kilometers of border – of which only 504 kilometers has reportedly been properly delineated, leading to tensions for the past 30 years.
