Iran Press/ Asia: The border disputes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan began after their independence from the Soviet Union. Various meetings have been held between the two countries in this regard, but disputes still remained unsolved.
On Tuesday, shots were exchanged after Tajik border guards advanced on a disputed area, the Kyrgyz border guard service said in a statement.
Faced with the Tajiks' refusal to stop their advance, Kyrgyz border guards "fired warning shots in the air", the statement said.
"In response, Tajik border guards opened fire on Kyrgyz border guards.
"The shooting stopped after negotiations between representatives... of the two countries," the statement said, adding that a Tajik border guard had been shot and wounded.
Later, another exchange of fire occurred in which a Kyrgyz border guard was "seriously" wounded, the same source said.
Kyrgyzstan's border guards later said a deal had been reached with Tajikistan to withdraw the additional troops deployed during the hostilities, in a bid to defuse tensions. 219
