DUSHANBE, July 10, 2014, Asia-Plus – One Tajik national was killed and at least eight were injured on July 10 as a Kyrgyz border guard opened fire on local citizens in Tajikistan’s Vorukh exclave inside Kyrgyzstan.
An official source at the Isfara mayor’s office says the incident took place in the Bedak area around noon. According to him, the 36-year-old resident of Vorukh Safoiddin Sharopov was killed in the shooting and at least eight were injured. “The inured people were taken to hospitals in the city of Isfara,” the source said.
The source says it is still unknown why Kyrgyz border guards crossed into Tajik territory and opened fire on Tajik farmers who were engaged in repairing a water supply system, which is located 500 meters far from the disputed areas along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border.
The Kyrgyz side has reportedly blocked the Isfara-Vorukh road.
Kyrgyz border service has confirmed the fact of shooting. Kyrgyz border service’s press center says the incident allegedly took place because of “illegitimate actions of Tajik nationals.”
Kyrgyz border service’s press center notes, “Some 30 Tajik nationals made an attempt to lay a water pipeline from Kyrgyz territory (Karavshin River) to the village of Bedak in Tajikistan’s Vorukh exclave inside Kyrgyzstan.” In order to prevent “the illegitimate actions” Kyrgyz border guards fired several shots into air that allegedly provoked shooting from Tajik border guards who were not far away from that area. Tajik border guards on routine patrol reportedly opened fire on Kyrgyz border guards and as a result of that a shootout sprang up.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have been locked in a tense border disputed for months around Vorukh, which is part of Tajikistan, but due to past redrawing of borders, it exists as an exclave some 20 kilometers inside Kyrgyzstan.
