A girl plays among belongings of people evacuated from their villages after recent clashes on a Kyrgyz-Tajik border, in a school which has been turned into a temporary shelter, in the town of Batken, southern Kyrgyzstan May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A family evacuated after recent clashes on a Kyrgyz-Tajik border, is seen in a school which has been turned into a temporary shelter, in the town of Batken, southern Kyrgyzstan May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Children evacuated from their villages after recent clashes on a Kyrgyz-Tajik border, are seen in a school which has been turned into a temporary shelter, in the town of Batken, southern Kyrgyzstan May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

People evacuated from their villages after recent clashes on a Kyrgyz-Tajik border, are seen near a school which has been turned into a temporary shelter, in the town of Batken, southern Kyrgyzstan May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Protesters hold a rally to demand of authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops, near the government house in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Kyrgyz soldiers guard headquarters in Batken in this photo taken September 3. More than 5,000 people descended on Batken, the administrative centre of a mountainous region where 750 fighters have been hiding for over two weeks after crossing from southern neighbour Tajikistan. The gunmen, said to be members of Uzbekistan's radical Moslem opposition movement, have occupied villages and hamlets to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official. 

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE BC-KYRGYZSTAN-REFUGEES - A Kyrgyz family stands outside their tent at the refugee camp in Batken. More than 5,000 people descended on Batken, the administrative centre of a mountainous region where 750 fighters have been hiding for over two weeks after crossing from southern neighbour Tajikistan. The gunmen, said to be members of Uzbekistan's radical Moslem opposition movement, have occupied villages and hamlets to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official. Picture taken 3SEP99.

SZH/CVI 

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE BC-KYRGYZSTAN-REFUGEES - Kyrgyz soldiers guard headquarters in Batken. More than 5,000 people descended on Batken, the administrative centre of a mountainous region where 750 fighters have been hiding for over two weeks after crossing from southern neighbour Tajikistan. The gunmen, said to be members of Uzbekistan's radical Moslem opposition movement, have occupied villages and hamlets to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official. Picture taken 3SEP99.

SZH/CVI 

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE BC-KYRGYZSTAN-REFUGEES - Kyrgyz general Abdugul Chotbayev speaks with reporters near Batken. Chotbayev heads Kyrgyz operations against the rebels, said to be members of Uzbekistan's radical Moslem opposition movement, who have occupied villages and hamlets to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official. Picture taken 3SEP99.

SZH/CVI 

A Kyrgyz soldier checks civilians passports at a checkpoint near Batken September 3. The poorly equipped Kyrgyz army said on Thursday it had asked for Russian military help to dislodge about 750 gunmen, said to be Islamic rebels from Kyrgyzstan's neighbour Uzbekistan, who have occupied several villages to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official.

SZH/ 

A Kyrgyz soldier standing guard closes his eyes as a helicopter takes off at a military airport near Batken September 3. About 750 gunmen, said to be Islamic rebels from Kyrgyzstan's neighbour Uzbekistan have occupied several villages to the south of Batken and are holding hostages, including four Japanese geologists and a senior Kyrgyz military official.

SZH/FMS 

A Kyrgyz soldier surveys the road from a checkpoint near Batken September 3. Over 5,000 refugees have gathered in the regional centre having descended from mountain villages north of Batken that have been siezed by Islamic rebel gunmen from neighbouring Tajikistan.

SZH 

A Kyrgyz soldier walks past a small girl who is sheltering in the refugee camp in Batken September 3. Over 5,000 refugees have gathered in the regional centre having descended from mountain villages north of Batken that have been siezed by Islamic rebel gunmen from neighbouring Tajikistan.

SZH/FMS 

A Kyrgyz woman cries as she sits with her young child in a tent in a refugee camp in Batken in the south of Krgyzstan August 30. Over 4,000 refugees have descended from mountain villages and gathered in this regional centre following fighting between Kyrguz domestic forces and guerrillas near their homes. 

A Kyrgyz woman cries as she sits with her young child in a tent in a refugee camp in Batken in the south of Krgyzstan August 30. Over 4,000 refugees have descended from mountain villages and gathered in this regional centre following fighting between Kyrguz domestic forces and guerrillas near their homes.

SZH 

A Kyrgyz woman cries while talking to Kyrgyz Prime Minister Amangeldy Muraliyev (R) during his visit to a refugee camp in Batken in the south of Krgyzstan August 30. Over 4,000 refugees have descended from mountain villages and gathered in this regional centre following fighting between Kyrguz domestic forces guerillas near their homes.

SZH/JDP 

A Kyrgyz soldier stands guard at the Batken airport in the south of Kyrgyzstan August 30. Kyrgyz domestic forces are fighting guerrillas who crossed over from neighbour Tajikistan over a week ago and are holding 16 hostages in the mountainous region.

WAW/JDP 

Refugees from the troubled southern Kurgyzstan region talk with officials in a camp near the village of Zardaly August 30. Over 4,000 refugees have descended from mountain villages and gathered in this regional centre following fighting between Kyrguz domestic forces and guerillas near their homes.

SZH/AS 

Russian president Boris Yeltsin gestures after arriving to Bishkek's airport August 24, [to join the leaders of China] and three former Soviet Central Asian states in Kyrgyzstan for a regional summit on security and cooperation. [At least ten people were killed in fighting to free four Japanese hostages who were kidnapped over the weekend in the remote southern region of Batken, about 250 miles south of Bishkek, an official said on Tuesday]. 

Russian president Boris Yeltsin gestures after arriving to Bishkek's airport August 24, to join the leaders of China and three former Soviet Central Asian states in Kyrgyzstan for a regional summit on security and cooperation. At least ten people were killed in fighting to free four Japanese hostages who were kidnapped over the weekend in the remote southern region of Batken about 400 km south of Bishkek, an official said on Tuesday.

CVI/AA