MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) Tajikistan's prosecutors said on Monday that a criminal investigation was underway into Kyrgyz military personnel and civilians whom they accuse of deadly clashes that erupted on the border last week.
The prosecutor general's office said that some 200 Kyrgyz villagers assaulted Tajik border guards near the Tajik city of Isfara on Thursday as they were installing CCTV cameras. Kyrgyz troops allegedly fired at the Isfara mayor who arrived at the border together with a police force.
"As a result of the armed attack, several people were killed, dozens wounded, and a large number of homes, border infrastructure and other buildings was burned down. Both citizens and the state suffered huge damage," a statement read.
Prosecutors accused unnamed Kyrgyz civilians and military personnel of "starting or waging an aggressive war" and killing people in line of duty, "while being involved in a robbery or banditry, on the grounds of national, racial, religious or regional hatred."
Violence flared on the border between the two Central Asian nations last Thursday, leading to dozens of casualties on both sides. A ceasefire was agreed on Friday.
