Uzbekistan Says It Detained 84 Afghan Soldiers Who Crossed Border

Afghan border police personnel stand guard on the Afghan side of the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan bridge in Hairatan. (file photo)

Uzbekistan has detained 84 Afghan soldiers who crossed the border, the government said on August 15, adding that another group of soldiers had amassed near a border checkpoint on the Afghan side.

Uzbekistan provided the detained Afghan soldiers with food, temporary accommodation, and medical treatment, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The government is also providing humanitarian aid to a group of Afghan soldiers who have amassed on the Afghan side of the of the bridge at the Termez-Hairatan border crossing, the Foreign Ministry added. The bridge is a car and railway link between the two countries.

"Measures are being taken to provide humanitarian assistance to these persons," the statement said without offering details.

Uzbekistan is in talks with Kabul on returning the troops home and resolving the situation at the bridge, it said.

The Taliban on August 14 seized the northern stronghold Mazar-e Sharif, which is around 100 kilometers from Uzbekistan by road.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP