A skirmish took place in Tashkent on the eve of Uzbekistan's Independence Day

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TASHKENT — On August 29, a skirmish between police and unidentified armed individuals took place in the Uzbek capital, which was preparing to celebrate the country's independence and its 2,200th anniversary on September 1. The nation's authorities and official mass media have not commented, but information from Tashkent hospitals confirms that there were fatalities. It is not yet clear with whom law enforcement agency personnel battled.

Several independent sources, including eyewitnesses, human rights workers and internet reports all indicate that a battle took place in the capital on the eve of Uzbekistan’s national holiday.

The skirmish occurred in the Old City district of Kuchka-Darbaz when gunmen in a two-storey building opened fire, and Special Forces and armored vehicles were called in.

Local human rights workers report that either four or six policemen were killed, as well as three unidentified individuals.

The authorities were intent on preventing any incidents on Independence Day, and manholes were sealed to avoid possible mine attacks. There was also an unofficial ban on wearing hijabs, women's traditional head scarves, to prevent suicide bombers from hiding explosives under the loose-fitting clothing.

On August 27, Uzbekistan also closed its borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan until September 10 to block the entry of terrorist groups.

[Ferghana.ru, UzNews.net, UzA.uz, UzNetronom.com, Gorizont.uz, CA-News.org]