Kyrgyzstan to Neutralize Shells on the Border with Tajikistan

Sappers of the Ministry of Defense of Kyrgyzstan started to work in areas located near the border with Tajikistan to neutralize unexploded ordnance, according to TASS news agency citing the Kyrgyzstan Border Service.

The Kyrgyz authorities called on residents of the Batken region to not panic if they hear the sound of explosions, as the sappers are engaged in the elimination of warheads.

«In the area of Orto-Boz, Batken region, a group of sappers of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic is working to neutralize all unexploded shells. The situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik section of the state border is stable; no incidents or shootings were recorded over the last night,» the Border Service said.

However, the agency emphasized that “the units and formations of the Border Guard Service of the State Committee for National Security, stationed in the Batken region, continue to stay on alert.”

The situation on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the area of the Golovnoy water intake, which both countries consider its territory, was escalated on April 28, when locals from the two sides found themselves in a conflict. An armed clash between the servicemen of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan took place the next day. According to Bishkek officials, during the clashes, the Tajik military used machine guns, mortars and Mi-24 combat helicopters.
On the same day, foreign ministers of the countries agreed to stop the fire and withdraw military units to their places of permanent deployment. However, firefights sporadically continued until May 1.

As a result of the border conflict with Tajikistan, 31 citizens of Kyrgyzstan died and about 154 were injured. The vast majority of the fatalities and wounded are civilians. Also, due to the conflict, Kyrgyzstan has lost more than a hundred buildings including living houses, two schools, three border posts, a kindergarten, a fire station, and a police station building. To avoid more casualties, Kyrgyzstan