Uzbekistan's National Security Council Secretary Disproves Reports Saying Republican Troops Are Advancing Towards Afghanistan Border

Mir-Akbar Rakhmonkulov, Secretary of the National Security Council of Uzbekistan, has refuted reports claiming Uzbek troops are advancing towards the border with Afghanistan. Rakhmonkulov pointed to inaccurate reports, outrageous conjectures and insinuations published in plenty by some of the media outlets, particularly reports on intensive movement of troops in Uzbekistan. The impression which one can gain from such reports is that Uzbekistan is on the brink of war, said he. The armed forces are on their permanent deployment positions and are doing their daily routine, he said emphatically. The security official described reports on a huge Taliban grouping which has allegedly approached the Uzbek border aiming to take military action against Uzbekistan as "yet another myth." No heavy military force whatsoever is on the Uzbek-Afghan border at the moment, emphasized Rakhmonkulov. Uzbekistan is known to have frequently stated that no land operations against Afghanistan or air strikes on that country will be carried out from its territory.