Kyrgyzstan says ceasefire agreed with Tajikistan after clashes

Outbreak of heavy fighting involving neighbouring countries’ militaries raised fears of escalating into wider conflict.

Kyrgyzstan has said it agreed to a ceasefire with Tajikistan after the heaviest clashes in years erupted along the neighbouring countries’ disputed frontier. In a statement on Thursday, Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry said a “complete ceasefire” had been agreed from 8pm local time (14:00 GMT), with military forces returning to bases. Tajikistan did not immediately release an official statement on the agreement. The two countries have long been locked in border disputes, including sporadic clashes along the frontier. More than a third of the border is disputed, with the area surrounding the de facto Tajik enclave of Vorukh, where Thursday’s conflict erupted, a regular flashpoint over territorial claims and access to water.