The Department of Information and Communication of the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic reports that a shootout took place between the border guards of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the Kyrgyz-Tajik section of the state border on June 14.
A shot was fired from the side of Kekh border post (Tajikistan) towards Bulak-Bashy border post (Kyrgyzstan) at about 6.50-7 a.m. in Bulak-Bashy area of Batken district.
In response, the Kyrgyz side also fired a return shot in the direction of the Tajik post.
«The border guards of the two sides immediately took up combat positions. The border representative of the Kyrgyz Republic for Batken region and the border representative of the Republic of Tajikistan for Sughd region held telephone negotiations. The heads of the border detachments of the parties left for the scene of the incident,» the statement says.
According to the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, at 7.50 a.m. the Tajik side started firing again, using grenade launchers and mortars. The shooting stopped at 8.10 a.m. A meeting of border representatives of the parties is being held to clarify the reasons for the shootout and prevent the situation from escalating.
As of 8.40 a.m., the situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik section of the border is characterized as tense.
The Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic is taking all necessary measures to stabilize the situation.
