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People from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan brawl at border over traffic incident

Border officials of both countries are now holding talks to settle the conflict

BISHKEK, July 24. /TASS/. A brawl erupted between residents of border areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Monday over a road traffic accident, the Kyrgyz Border Service said.

A Kyrgyz police officer went to the scene to "prevent the conflict from escalating," but he was assaulted by Tajiks as he was approaching it, the Kyrgyz agency said in a statement.

Border officials of both countries are now holding talks to settle the conflict. The Kyrgyz agency called on Kyrgyz residents "not to succumb to panic."

The length of the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is almost 980 kilometers. There are dozens disputed areas left after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A border demarcation process is underway, but residents of border areas sometimes engage in conflicts.