Three residents of Somoniyon village in Chorkuh jamoat, which is subordinate to the Tajik northern city of Isfara were wounded in a shootout today morning in a border area between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, a source within the Isfara mayor’s office told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.   

The wounded persons are currently in the intensive care unit of the Isfara central city hospital and their condition is assessed as stable, the source said.

According to him, tension escalated in border area today early in the morning after the Kyrgyz side opened fire.

“The clash first broke out between the residents of two border villages with people on each side hurling stones at each other,” said the source.  “But Kyrgyz military in civilian clothes started shooting towards Tajik citizens.  Several residents sustained gunshot wounds,” the source said. 

The source further added that representative of local authorities and law enforcement agencies are currently in the scene of the incident holding meetings with local residents. 

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan’s news agency AKIPress reported today morning at 9:12 am that the State Border Service of Kyrgyzstan explained escalation of tension with “provocative actions of nationals of Tajikistan, who began hurling stones on nationals of Kyrgyzstan and their houses.”

The Tajik side reportedly further began firing shots from hunting rifles into passing cars of Kyrgyz citizens. Several citizens of Kyrgyzstan were wounded.

The Kyrgyz Border Service says Tajik side opens fire repeatedly.

The situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border reportedly remains tensed.

The Kyrgyz Border Service said it failed to reach the leadership of the Border Service of Tajikistan by phone, according to AKIPress. 

Border conflicts are frequent in the area which is part of the fertile Ferghana valley, a patchwork of Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek villages with numerous enclaves and disputed border lines.

As usual, Tajik and Kyrgyz authorities blame each other for the violence.