Uzbek Border Guards Kill Kyrgyz Interloper

Officials from Kyrgyzstan's State Border Service say Uzbek border guards shot dead a Kyrgyz national along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border in southern Osh region.

The officials said on September 7 that the man was shot after he crossed the border in the district of Aravan and walked some 150 meters into Uzbek territory, reportedly ignoring border guards' commands to stop.

Investigations have been launched into the incident.

Similar incidents are frequent along borders in Central Asia, as the borders were not always clearly set after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and many segments of the borders remain disputed.

Many people in towns and villages located close to the borders have relatives across the border and visit them frequently.

Based on reporting by KirTAG and Interfax