23:26, 16 сентября 2022, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Nurkyz SABYROVA
About 120,000 citizens were evacuated from the border villages of Batken and Leilek districts. Marufkhan Tulaev, First Deputy Presidential Envoy to Batken region, announced live.
According to him, the situation in Samarkandek and Ak-Sai rural districts of Batken region remains tense.
«Despite the agreement to ceasefire along the entire border line by 4 p.m., the Tajik side continues to shoot at Min-Bulak and Min-Oruk villages. Houses of residents of border areas are on fire. Shelling did not stop in the lower zone of Leilek district. All residents were evacuated from there. There are only military now,» Marufkhan Tulaev told.
Residents of border villages have been temporarily resettled to Kadamdzhai district.
«We got in touch with the leadership of Fergana region. With their support, a transit corridor was organized through Sokh enclave to transport about 120,000 people,» Marufkhan Tulaev told.
He also confirmed the information that a school in Ak-Sai village was occupied by Tajik military personnel.
«There is no connection with Ak-Sai village. 16 mobile operator towers and 35 power lines were damaged there. We cannot get up-to-date information from the Khodzhaev school,» Marufkhan Tulaev said.
The official also said that there are no problems with medicines in Batken region. Five teams of doctors arrived from Osh region. Teams of doctors from Nookat, Aravan and Kyzyl-Kiya regions were also sent there. The patrol service controls traffic on the roads. People in need of hemodialysis and emergency medical care were airlifted to Bishkek and placed in hospitals.
Shooting began at several sites of the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the morning of September 16. According to the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security, at about 6 a.m. the Tajik side started firing at the border detachments and positions of the Kyrgyz side. Later, the Tajik side began mortar shelling of border outposts and border villages in Leilek and Batken districts. At least 55 people were wounded. Shooting continues for the third day. As a result of the armed conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, residents of seven villages in Batken and Leilek districts left their homes.
The Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic made an official statement that the heads of the security services of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Kamchybek Tashiev and Saimumin Yatimov, agreed to ceasefire at 4 p.m. Presidents Sadyr Japarov and Emomali Rahmon also agreed to ceasefire. The Kyrgyz side completely stopped firing, while the Tajik side reduced intensity. But, according to the latest data from the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, the Tajik side opened fire again.