OSH. Aug 4 (Interfax) - More clashes have occurred between residents in the border areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the head of the Batken District Police Department (Kyrgyzstan) Arstan Usanov told Interfax on Saturday.
"The situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border has escalated again, the transit road from Batken to Aksai to Vorukh has been closed temporarily," Usanov said.
"The situation escalated today after Tajik citizens, having illegally entered the grounds of the Kyrgyz village of Aksai, started gathering the Kyrgyz harvest, leading to clashes between residents of the border villages of the two republics," the police chief said.
"Tajik citizens also threw rocks at Kyrgyz cars passing by through the Tajik village of Khojalo," the district police chief added.
Officials from both republics have travelled to the scene to settle the situation, he said. "During the bilateral talks between the leaders of the Batken district, the eponymous region of Kyrgyzstan, and the Isfara district and the Sughd region of Tajikistan, the parties agreed that Tajikistan will compensate the damage caused to Kyrgyz farmers," Usanov said.
Tajikistan also undertook compensating damage to the motorists whose vehicles were damaged during the clashes, he said.
"The Batken-Khojalo-Aksai-Vorukh road has now reopened, the situation is controlled by the military. The border villages where clashes occurred are being patrolled to prevent escalation of the situation," Usanov said.