ISFARA, April 7, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Due to an opportune interference of local authorities and law enforcement agencies of Tajik Isfara district and Kyrgyz Batken district, the spread of a new conflict on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border was prevented on April 6.

The source at the Isfara police department told Asia-Plus that the incident took place on the border road between the Tajik village of Somoniyon and the Kyrgyz village of Mayskiy Wednesday morning.

According to him, Kyrgyz district police officer stopped a truck of Umed Tojiyev, resident of Isfara’s Chorkuh jamoat (community), who was transporting goods to Vorukh, an exclave of Tajikistan within Kyrgyzstan, and demanded a bribe from Tojiyev.

“When the Tajik drive refused to pay, the Kyrgyz police officer threatening Tojiyev with the government-issue weapon made him drive into Kyrgyz territory.  People gathered from both sides and Kyrgyz border guards came to the site.  Meanwhile, Tajiks on the Tajik side of the border intercepted a Kyrgyz truck.  The situation was tense and could escalate into armed conflict at any moment,” the source said.

Isfara and Batken chairpersons, chiefs of law enforcement agencies of both districts as well as elders from both communities came to the border for talks and the standoff was resolved by common efforts only by the afternoon, the source added.  Heads of the two border districts will meet in Isfara tomorrow to discuss the incident.