UPDATE - 31 injured in clashes on Kyrgyz-Tajik border

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF PEOPLE INJURED

By Nazir Aliyev Tayfur

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) – Thirty-one people were injured in clashes on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Health Ministry said on Friday.

The conflict on the border continues, according to Kyrgyz security sources.

The State Committee for National Security said the Tajik side set fire to border villages in Kyrgyzstan, including Kulundu, Maksat, and Dzhani-Dzher.

The two countries’ foreign ministers discussed the situation at the border, according to information obtained by Anadolu Agency from the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, they underlined the importance of solving the problems at the border through political and diplomatic means.

The ministry issued a protest note to the Tajik side regarding what it called their illegal and destructive actions.

On Thursday, two Kyrgyz citizens were injured in clashes between border guards of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar and Beyza Binnur Donmez in Ankara