DUSHANBE, August 11. /ITAR-TASS/. A bear killed on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border sparkled a border conflict which might aggravate bilateral relations, a source from the Tajik national security committee said Monday.

On Sunday night three Kyrgyz citizens trespassed onto the territory of Tajikistan and shot a bear, which is under state protection as belonging to a group of endangered animal species. The Kyrgyz citizens, who had been hunting on the Tajik territory illegally, were spotted by Tajik border guards who ordered the intruders to surrender.

In retaliation the intruders opened gunfire at the Tajik border guard patrol, which sparked an armed conflict. One of the intruders was killed. The two other poachers alongside with the body of the killed animal were brought to a border guard unit on the territory of Tajikistan.

In the meantime, representatives from both sides of the state border have met to discuss the incident, the source said.

This is a third armed conflict on the border between the two countries this year with casualties entailed. Later in the day the Tajik foreign ministry sent a note to the Kyrgyz foreign ministry, expressing hope that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.