Border conflict left almost 700 residents of Kyrgyzstan’s Batken homeless

Bishkek, May 12, 2021 . / Kabar / . A conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border has completely destroyed 136 residential houses in Batken Oblast, as a result of which 688 citizens were left without shelter, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic Urmatbek Shamyrkanov said during a press conference at Kabar News Agency.

He added that a total of 220 objects were destroyed as a result of the border conflict, of which 136 houses, 15 social objects, 27 fuel stations, 34 stores, 5 dining rooms and 3 restaurants.

"At present, 304 employees of the Emergency Ministry and 35 units of special equipment are carrying out reconstruction work in Batken Oblast,” the deputy minister said.

Shamyrkanov added that about 60 transition housed were built in villages of Batken and Leilek regions, over 120 houses were cleaned.

"According to the Decree of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, the restoration of all facilities is scheduled to be completed as early as the beginning of September," he said.

Situation on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan escalated on April 28 after citizens of Tajikistan began installing video surveillance cameras at the Golovnoi water intake in the village of Kok-Tash in Batken region.

As a result of the joint altercation, the residents of the two countries began throwing stones at each other. Later, gunfire began.

According to an of official data, as a result of the armed conflict, 190 Kyrgyzstanis were injured, 36 were killed, including two minor children.

On the evening of April 29, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a statement and protocol about the cessation of armed conflict and withdrawal of personnel and military equipment to the places of permanent deployment.

However, in spite of this, the Tajik side attacked the border village of Leilek. There were attacks on houses of civilians, school, kindergarten, clinic and gas stations of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Also, the Tajik military captured 10 residents of the Internatsional Kyrgyz village along with the head of the village. They were later returned.

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan considered the actions of the Tajik side as military aggression.

As of today, a total of 1,613 tons of humanitarian aid has arrived in the oblast. Of these, 1,383 tons have been distributed.