<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">At least 94 people were killed in clashes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan this week, in the worst violence the countries have seen in years, while the international community called for calm.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The situation on the contested border between the two Central Asian neighbours was, however, calm on Sunday afternoon, according to Kyrgyz authorities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Clashes regularly erupt between the two former Soviet republics, as around half of their 970-kilometre (600-mile) border is still to be demarcated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tajikistan said on Sunday that 35 of its citizens were killed, the first official death toll since armed clashes broke out on Wednesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On its Facebook page, the Tajik foreign ministry also reported 25 injured and said civilians, women, and children were among the victims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ministry accused Kyrgyz soldiers of killing 12 people in a drone strike on a mosque, six others in an attack against a school and another seven when an ambulance came under fire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">AFP was not able independently to verify the claims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan said Sunday 59 people had died in the southern border region of Batken, and 144 had been injured.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from Kyrgyz border regions over the past days, according to NGOs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyrgyzstan's emergency situations minister added on Sunday that four Kyrgyz soldiers were reported missing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The country declared September 19 a national day of mourning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- 'Lasting ceasefire' -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This toll by far surpasses figures from April 2021, when clashes left 50 dead and raised fears of a large-scale conflict.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two sides agreed a ceasefire Friday and Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon met his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov at a summit in Uzbekistan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the two countries traded blame for ceasefire violations only a few hours later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called for "no further escalation" between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in phone calls with the leaders of the Central Asian nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Putin also urged them to "take steps to resolve the situation as soon as possible by exclusively peaceful, political and diplomatic means", according to a statement from the Kremlin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are part of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) but they regularly clash.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Still, the situation appears to be stabilising.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Sunday afternoon, the Kyrgyz authorities issued a statement saying the situation at the border "remains calm, trending towards stabilisation".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There were no recorded escalation attempts or shots fired on the border. The parties are maintaining their ceasefire agreement and withdrawing their respective troops," the statement added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres had called on the leadership of both sides "to engage in dialogue for a lasting ceasefire", said a spokesman. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>