Kyrgyzstan raises death toll to 62 on its side in Tajik border fighting

The Kyrgyz authorities have raised to 62 the number of Kyrgyz killed by the recent clashes on the border with Tajikistan, whose last balance speaks of 46 dead.

Thus, the tensions unleashed during the last week between the two Asian countries have claimed the lives of at least 108 people, according to the data provided so far by the authorities of both sides.

These latest clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which share some 1,000 kilometers of border — a third of which is disputed — are the deadliest since 2021, when half a hundred people died.

Dushanbe and Bishkek reached a cease-fire pact under which they also managed to clear several key border points, although both countries have accused each other of violating the agreement.

The lack of clear demarcation on the border has led to disputes over the use of land and water resources, with frequent clashes between border guards from one country and the other and brawls between the communities that were separated after the breakup of the Soviet Union.