From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Aug 14 2000 - 11:28:16 EDT
UZBEK ISLAMISTS INVADE KYRGYZSTAN
A detachment of approximately 100 Islamic insurgents invaded southern
Kyrgyzstan's Batken Oblast on the morning of 11 August. Since
then, at least 10 Kyrgyz troops and 30 of the militants have
been killed in heavy fighting involving combat helicopters.
Reuters on 13 August quoted a Kyrgyz Defense Ministry
spokesman as saying that "the majority of the bandit groups
have been destroyed." ITAR-TASS on 14 August quoted Kyrgyz
presidential spokesman Osmonakun Ibraimov as saying that at
this stage Bishkek will not ask its CIS allies for military
assistance to fight the invaders. On 12 August, an Uzbek
Defense Ministry official denied media reports that the
country's armed forces had incurred "mass casualties"
fighting the Islamists last week. On 11 August, General
Amirqul Azimov, who is Tajik Security Council secretary,
denied that the Islamists had entered Uzbekistan from Tajik
territory, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. He also ruled out the
possibility that they could reach Kyrgyzstan via Tajik
territory. But the region of Kyrgyzstan where the current
fighting is taking place is surrounded by Tajik territory and
does not border on Uzbekistan. LF
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