The authorities of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have started a joint investigation into the death of two Kyrgyz citizens in the inter-state border area. This was reported by Upl.uz.
On Monday, the press service of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan's border service announced this. The incidents occurred on August 15, and official information became known on August 25 after applications about the disappearance of two citizens were received by Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies.
During a meeting held on August 28 between representatives of the two countries' border services, it was established that the incident took place precisely on August 15. According to the Uzbek side, two unknown individuals were found on Uzbek territory at the border post.
This area is located at the junction of the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. When border officers attempted to detain the unknown individuals, they did not comply with the lawful demand, which resulted in the use of firearms.
As a result, both individuals died at the scene from gunshot wounds. On August 31, a procedure was conducted to identify the deceased.
Relatives who had earlier reported the disappearance came to Uzbekistan and identified the bodies. On September 1, the bodies were handed over to Kyrgyzstan.
This process was carried out at the "Baymak" checkpoint, after which the bodies were sent to the morphology department in the city of Kerben for forensic examination. Heads of the border agencies of the two republics have already held negotiations and agreed on the necessity of conducting a detailed joint investigation at the incident site.
The Uzbek side also stated its readiness to hand over three horses and a yurt belonging to the deceased in the near future. Currently, a thorough and comprehensive investigation is underway regarding all aspects of the incident.
Representatives of both countries have announced that the results of the investigation will be made public. The length of the state border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan is 1,314 kilometers, making it the longest external border for Kyrgyzstan.
The delimitation and demarcation process of this border was complex and prolonged due to population density, the complexity of ethnic composition, and the presence of several enclaves. The complete delimitation of the border was officially announced on January 27, 2023.
