Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan said on Sunday the death toll from their border conflict had risen to 71 people, as a fragile ceasefire held between two Central Asian nations for a second day and their mutual ally Russia urged a de-escalation. The former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute on September 14-16, accusing each other of using tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones to attack outposts and nearby settlements.
Central Asian border issues largely stem from the Soviet era when Moscow tried to divide the region between groups whose settlements were often located amidst those of other ethnicities. - Reuters
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