Tajik troops stopped shelling Kyrgyzstan’s territory following talks between the heads of the two countries’ border services, the Border Service of the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security said in a statement on Saturday, TASS reports.
"Tajikistan stopped its mortar shelling of Kyrgyz border guards’ positions in the settlements of Teshik-Tash, Karamyk and Karool-Debe in the Chong-Alay District of the Osh Region," the statement reads.
The shelling stopped after Saturday’s meeting between Director of the Border Service of the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security Ularbek Sharsheyev and commander of Tajikistan’s border troops Rajabali Rahmonali. "The Border Service of the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security continues efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border," the statement added.
According to Kyrgyzstan, Tajik troops started shelling the positions of Kyrgyz border guards in the Eki-Tash, Chyr-Dobo, Kum-Mazar, Kulundu, Maksat, Zhany-Zher and Orto-Boz areas on Friday morning. The city of Batken also came under fire. Bishkek reported 24 dead and 121 injured, including civilians.
Tensions rose on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border on September 14. According to Bishkek, Tajik border guards crossed the border in the Bulak-Bashy area of Kyrgyzstan’s Batken District on Wednesday and "took up combat positions." In response to Kyrgyz troops’ demand to leave the territory, Tajik border guards opened fire and a shootout ensued. Armed clashes later took place in the Kak-Sai and Pasky-Aryk areas of the Batken Region.
