Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kyrgyzstan has recalled its ambassador to Dushanbe following an armed incident on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border occurred on January 11, Kabar agency reported on January 14.

Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said ambassador to Tajikistan Urmat Saralayev was recalled to Bishkek for consultations in connection with the border incident.

An armed incident occurred between the servicemen of the State Border Service of Kyrgyzstan and border troops of the Tajik State National Security Committee near the main water intake structure of Batken region in Kyrgyzstan's Batken province.

Tajik border guards were the first to use a weapon against Kyrgyz servicemen, according to Kyrgyz State Border Service. A firefight ensued and both sides suffered wounds.

Officials say five Kyrgyz border guards, one policeman, and three Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries after shootouts along the border.

"The Kyrgyz border guards were fired on by the chief of staff of special forces units' of Border Troops of Tajik National Security Committee," Kyrgyz State Border Service said.

Following the incident, Kyrgyzstan has closed its border with Tajikistan. Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry sent two official notes to the Tajik side on January 11, accusing the Tajik forces of using grenade-launchers and mortars.

However, Tajikistan denied the claims saying that Tajik border guards attempted to stop what it said was the illegal construction of a road when their Kyrgyz counterparts opened fire on them.

The Tajik Foreign Ministry said although the Intergovernmental Commission for Delimitation and Demarcation of the Tajik-Kyrgyz Border on January 7 reached an agreement on suspension of construction works on the Koktash-Aksai-Tamdyk motor road, the Kyrgyz side made an attempt to continue construction of the road on January 11, part of which runs through Tajikistan's territory.

"Tajik border guards recorded a breach of the state border and demanded to stop construction works. In response, a Kyrgyz border guard patrol of 20 servicemen used foul language against the Tajik border guards and then, without warning, opened gunfire. The Tajik border guards were forced to fire in response," the ministry said.

This is not the first incident on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border. Clashes along the border occurred several times in 2013. Many areas along borders in Central Asia remain in dispute after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.