At least one person was killed and two injured when Uzbek and Kyrgyz border guards exchanged gunfire at an undemarcated border area on Tuesday, Kyrgyzstan’s border guards press service said.
The incident was sparked by road works that residents of Kyrgyzstan’s Bulak Bashi village began in the border area despite warnings from Kyrgyz border guards. Uzbek border guards, who arrived at the area demanded that road works be stopped immediately.
The debate between border guards heated up, and gunfire followed. It is unclear who started shooting.
“A border guard of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan died in the shooting. According to preliminary information, two residents of the republic received gunshot wounds, casualties among Uzbek border guards were also reported,” Kyrgyz border guards said in a statement.
In a phone conversation shortly after the incident, leaders of the two states “have reached an agreement about the peaceful settlement of the incident,” the statement reads.
No official comment from the Uzbek side was available so far.
