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New clashes near southern Kyrgyz city of Osh

BBC Published Jun 21, 2010 Reviewed Jul 1, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
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At least one person was killed in Kyrgyzstan during clashes with ethnic Uzbeks near Osh.
at least 1 · person killed
officials
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A man was shot dead in Nariman during an attempt to flush out militants.
1 · person killed
authorities
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Human rights activists reported that troops killed two people and injured 20.
2 · people killed20 · people injured
human rights activists
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Officials say at least 208 people were killed in fighting between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks around Osh and Jalalabad.
at least 208 · people killed
officials
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The Kyrgyz interim government stated that 20 people were injured, contrary to claims of 20 injured.
20 · people injured
Kyrgyz interim government, statement
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Kyrgyzstan's interim leader said up to 2,000 people may have died in the fighting earlier this month.
at most 2000 · people died
interim leader, interim leader
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Roza Otunbayeva said the real toll could be 10 times the official figures.
10 · official figures
Roza Otunbayeva, interim leader
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About 400,000 people have fled their homes since the violence erupted on 10 June.
about 400000 · people fled
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The Kyrgyz authorities say they are attempting to flush out "militants"

At least one person has been killed in Kyrgyzstan as security forces clashed with ethnic Uzbeks near the troubled southern city of Osh, officials say.

A man was shot dead in Nariman as the authorities attempted to flush out "militants" behind the recent violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbek people.

Human rights activists said the troops had killed two people and injured 20.

Kyrgyzstan's interim leader has said as many as 2,000 people may have died in the fighting earlier this month.

Officials say at least 208 people were killed in fighting between Kyrgyz people and ethnic Uzbeks around Osh and Jalalabad.

But Roza Otunbayeva told a Russian newspaper on Friday that the real toll could be "10 times the official figures".

About 400,000 people have fled their homes since the violence erupted on 10 June, with many ethnic Uzbeks crossing into Uzbekistan.

Human rights workers say the latest incident occurred when government forces went on patrol in the Uzbek neighbourhood of Nariman.

"The military have been going around doing checks... and looking for weapons. A lot of people have been beaten up," Human Rights Watch researcher Ole Solvangwas was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Other activists allege the attack was in retaliation for the recent killing of a local police chief.

However, the Kyrgyz interim government said its soldiers had come under attack and a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

"The acts of the officer were justified," it said in a statement, adding that claims 20 people were injured did not "correspond to reality".

The unrest comes two months after the country's former president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, was forced out of office.

Ms Otunbayeva's government has blamed the former leader for stoking the conflict ahead of a referendum on Sunday on constitutional reform that would give greater power to the prime minister.

Mr Bakiyev, who is in exile in Belarus, has rejected the allegations.

Ms Otunbayeva said on Monday that the referendum must go ahead as planned to "create a legal framework".

"If we allow any delays, this will threaten us with further instability," she said.

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