Gunfire exchange at Golovnoy: Sher special-purpose troop soldiers defended strategic object of Kyrgyzstan

AKIPRESS.COM - The Golovnoy water distributor near the Kok-Tash village of the Ak-Sai rural district, Batken region, has become the place where an armed conflict broke out between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Eyewitnesses of the clashes told that on April 28 the Tajik peop;e installed video surveillance cameras at the water distributor, which is guarded by members of the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry's troops. Afterwards, the people from both sides gathered and a conflict erupted. The tensions escalated into rock throwing and the next day on April 29, the shooting started. The citizens of Kyrgyzstan demanded the Tajik side to remove the surveillance cameras, but they objected. Closer to 1:50 p.m. people began to gather from both sides.
Soldiers of the Sher special-purpose troop of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic said that the Golovnoy is a strategic object of Kyrgyzstan and is under the protection of military personnel.
"Despite our demands, they did not remove the video surveillance cameras. Residents of the village of Kok-Tash came on April 28 and made attempts to dismantle the cameras that had been installed on our border. About 30 people gathered from the Tajik side. The sides started throwing stones at each other. The conflict was resolved by the official representatives of the sides who came to the place. The people gathered the next day on April 29, too. There were already about 300 people from the Tajik side, about the same number of people from our side. There was one demand, to remove the surveillance cameras. Back on April 17 we started noticing that the Tajik side was doing some kind of work, they had brought special equipment and were digging. In addition, they were against repairing the bridge by our people, which belongs to us. It was already clear that they had brought soldiers to this section and some kind of preparation was underway," said one Sher soldier.
Then the soldier recollected that the Tajik side opened fire from hunting rifles at the Kyrgyz residents on April 29 after stone throwing. It occurred around 1:50 p.m. and 2 p.m.
"Our citizens had only stones, they were unarmed, law enforcement agencies confirmed that. About 10 of our people were injured in front of us as a result of the shooting. When our citizens started to run back, they were chased by citizens of Tajikistan to the building, which is under our protection. They were carrying rocks and shields, and the people behind them were shooting from weapons. At about 2:05 p.m. Tajik side opened fire from machine gun. When the sound of rifle fire was heard, the guards at the strategic facility were required by statute to respond to the attack. Warning shots were made into the air. Only small arms can be used near the border in this kind of conflicts, but the Tajik servicemen used all kinds of weapons. They should have fired Soldiers were hurt, but the wounds were not serious. All of our citizens were hurt and killed as a result of the mortar fire. At about 8:03 p.m. a command from the Border Service to stop firing came. At that time we stopped firing. But the Tajik side continued firing for another 30 minutes. Our military equipment arrived to reinforce the security of the facility," said the Sher soldier.
An armored vehicle belonging to the Kyrgyz side is still there not far from Golovnoy. It was shelled and burned. There are several passenger cars by the roadside, which were also shelled and burned. There is an overturned ambulance car.
The Golovnoy water distributor was commissioned in 1973. The water from it flows to the Tort Kul reservoir. Water from the reservoir is used to irrigate agricultural land in Batken town and Batken district.
Over 25 Kyrgyzstanis were found dead near Golovnoy after mortar shelling by Tajik troops of Ak-Sai rural district of the Batken region. A criminal probe was launched into the massacre.
At least 36 Kyrgyz citizens were killed in armed attack.