Kyrgyz authorities say a clash on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can be regarded as a military operation planned in advance by the Tajik side.
Kyrgyz Vice Premier for Law and Security Tokon Mamytov said on January 12 in Bishkek that the clash the previous day must have been carefully prepared because it involved "ordnance, namely, mortars, and grenade-launchers."
Officials say five Kyrgyz border guards, one Kyrgyz policeman, and three Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries after tensions escalated into exchanges of gunfire.
The cause of the shooting wasn’t immediately clear, but tensions have been high in the region for years amid a series of territorial disputes.
Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken Province borders Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Ill-defined borders have led to regional tensions since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Kyrgyz Vice Premier for Law and Security Tokon Mamytov said on January 12 in Bishkek that the clash the previous day must have been carefully prepared because it involved "ordnance, namely, mortars, and grenade-launchers."
Officials say five Kyrgyz border guards, one Kyrgyz policeman, and three Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries after tensions escalated into exchanges of gunfire.
The cause of the shooting wasn’t immediately clear, but tensions have been high in the region for years amid a series of territorial disputes.
Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken Province borders Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Ill-defined borders have led to regional tensions since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
