Kyrgyz city tense as gunmen clash

HEAVY arms fire rang out over the Kyrgyz city of Osh yesterday as authorities struggled to bring order to the Central Asian country’s south after days of deadly ethnic riots.

The violence – which erupted last Thursday in Osh between the majority Kyrgyz population and Uzbeks and spread to surrounding regions – has prompted more than 100,000 Uzbeks to flee for their lives to Uzbekistan, with tens of thousands more camped on the Kyrgyz side of the border or stranded in no-man’s land.

The official death count from the past week of violence rose to 189 yesterday, with 1,910 wounded, the health ministry said. But observers believe the real toll is much higher, with many victims being buried quickly Meanwhile, thousands of ethnic Uzbeks were camped near the Uzbekistan border, waiting to cross and enter refugee camps there.