DUSHANBE, January 3, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi had a telephone conversation with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbayev on December 30 to discuss the situation in the Leilek district, Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region.

According to the Tajik MFA information, Zarifi expressed concern about the conflict that took place between ethnic Tajiks and ethnic Kyrgyzs in the village of Andarak in the Leilek district on the night of December 29-30.

Kyrgyz minister noted that the incident was not politically motivated and that the incident was a domestic skirmish.  At present the situation is under full control of the local authorities, Kazakbayev stressed.

We will recall that a mass scuffle occurred between ethnic Tajiks and ethnic Kyrgyzs in the village of Andarak on the night of December 29-30 following mutual accusations of arbitrary rule and land grabbing.

The 24.kg news agency reported that local police had failed to stop the skirmish and youth had begun to loot rural shops.  According to the preliminary data, three residential buildings were burnt down, 24.kg reports.