Kyrgyz Border Service: Tajik side pulling forces to inside site on border

Tajikistan is redeploying its forces to the conflict site on the border with Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan’s Border Service said.

"The Tajik side is reportedly pulling forces and weapons to the incident site," it said.

According to the service, the situation on the border between the two countries is tense. "The Border Service of the Kyrgyz National Security Committee is taking all necessary measures to stabilize the situation," it said.

A conflict between the two countries’ border guards flared up on Tuesday after Tajik soldiers intruded into the Kyrgyz territory near the village of Selkana in Kyrgyzstan’s Batkenskaya region. During the day, the sides opened gunfire two times. A Kyrgyz and a Tajik border guards were wounded. Apart from that, Kyrgyzstan reported mortar shelling of the village of Dostuk from the Tajik side.

Currently, residents of Kyrgyz villages located near the border with Tajikistan are being evacuated.

Representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed during talks to pull forces from the conflict area on their border, the Kyrgyz border guard service said on Tuesday.

"One of the first decisions made during talks was to pull the additional forces and equipment to permanent bases," it said in a statement. "The sides started withdrawing forces and equipment from the scene of the incident practically immediately".