Status: 09/16/2022 1:46 p.m
The two countries have been fighting over the border for more than 30 years – now fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has flared up again. According to experts, this also has something to do with the Ukraine war.
Fierce fighting has flared up in the dispute over the border between the two former Soviet republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia. “Heavy fighting is taking place along the entire Kyrgyz-Tajik border,” said the Kyrgyz border guard. This was also confirmed by the Tajik side.
Both states accused each other of shelling and the use of heavy weapons. A short time later, however, Kyrgyzstan announced a ceasefire.
Kyrgyzstan reported more than 30 injuries in its own ranks. The Kyrgyz border guard said Tajik security forces had opened fire. The Tajik side also used tanks. In addition, the Kyrgyz border guard accused Tajikistan of shelling the airport in the city of Batken and adjacent areas in south-west Kyrgyzstan.
Authorities report dead and injured civilians
Tajikistan in turn accused Kyrgyz forces of attacking a Tajik border post and seven villages with heavy weapons. According to the authorities in the town of Isfara, a civilian was killed and three others injured.
Border guards exchanged gunfire as early as the middle of the week. Two Tajik officials were killed and six soldiers and five civilians injured. For its part, Kyrgyzstan reported two wounded soldiers and two wounded civilians.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon are both currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.
Observers expect increasing tensions
In recent years, there have been repeated conflicts on the border between the two ex-Soviet republics that are allied with Russia. In view of the Ukraine war and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has also flared up again, the current violence is under a different sign.
A few days ago, authoritarian Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus attacked its neighbor Armenia. Conflicts that have been smoldering for years have recently escalated in several regions of the post-Soviet space. Observers fear that such tensions will increase because Russia, which actually has a strong military presence in the entire region, is currently engaged in the war against Ukraine.