Bishkek, Sept. 14 (BNA) The Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards exchanged fire today, Wednesday, after a border dispute between the two countries in Central Asia, officials from both sides said.
The clash, which took place on the eve of the meeting of the regional security body and against the background of the fighting between Russia and Ukraine as well as between Azerbaijan and Armenia, began after the Kyrgyz border guards accused the Tajiks of taking positions on part of the border. Not demarcated.
Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are allied with Russia and host Russian military bases, but fighting over border issues is frequent, and nearly the past year has resulted in an all-out war between the former Soviet republics, Reuters reports.
The Tajik side said in a statement that the Kyrgyz border guards unjustified opened fire from artillery and mortars at their position. The RIA Novosti news agency reported that the border force in Tajikistan said that one of the border guards was killed in the accident and two others were wounded.
Kyrgyzstan did not immediately report any casualties.
The leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are expected to attend the Shanghai Security Organization summit in Uzbekistan this week along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping as well as a host of other world leaders.