DUSHANBE, June 12, Asia-Plus - Fifteen cases of Uzbek border troops’ illegally firing at Tajik civilians on the border have been reported over the past six years, according to information from Tajik border service. 

Besides, five cases of illegal capture of servicemen of Tajik border troops, two cases of firing and illegal seizure of the republic’s territory, and four cases of attack on Tajik frontier outposts, as well as three cases of illegal capture of Tajik citizens and stealing of cattle have been reported over the same six-year period, a statement released by Tajik border service on June 3 says.  

“All in all, 36 cases of illegal actions by Uzbek border troops causing political and economic damage to Tajikistan have been reported over the mentioned period,” the statement said.  Tajik border service has resolved all these negative facts without making any stir, proceedings from neighborly relationships, mutual understanding and strategic partnership with Uzbekistan , according to the statement.  

The statement by the Tajik border service also says that 68 citizens of Tajikistan , including 30 children, have been killed and 83 others, including 30 children, have been injured in landmine explosions on the Tajik-Uzbek border since 2000. 

It is to be noted that there no any special engineering and technical installations on the border, which would demarcate the border between the to countries, and Tajik civilians living along rural border can never be sure whether they are in Tajik territory or inadvertently crossed over into Uzbekistan .  Most of the victims on the Uzbek border were women and children who were gathering firewood along the border as well as shepherds pasturing cattle in the areas.  Almost all who have survived, have become disabled for life.