On 3 July Radio “Azatlyk”, referring to its sources, reported gunfire at the section of the Turkmen-Afghan border between the cities of Serkhetabat and Takhtabazar.
According to the Radio, the incident occurred three weeks ago when border patrols attempted to stop drug smugglers who attempted to carry drugs through the border. However, the latter opened fire and killed three soldiers.
As a result additional forces were summoned on alert. Subsequently, several dozens of Turkmen military officers and soldiers were injured and 25 were killed. The majority of those killed were conscripts from Dashoguz velayat. The Radio reported that the correspondent had the list of those killed.
Pro-governmental Turkmen media outlets promptly responded to this report and three hours after “Azatlyk” had published the news, they refuted this information.
The information that three weeks ago at the Turkmen-Afghan border armed clashes with rebel groups occurred which resulted in alleged fatalities among Turkmen military personnel is false and has nothing to do with reality”, — the website Turkmenportal reports.
Within three hours Turkmen journalists managed to get to the scene of the incident, interview several inhabitants of Takhtabazar and Serkhetabat, have a conversation with the doctor from the Serkhetabat military hospital, prepare and publish a report.
According to the website, all eyewitnesses that the journalists talked to, refuted the reports about casualties.
“ the reports about the casualties and shootings at the border are false”, — one of them said.
Radio “Azatlyk” was referred to by the news outlet as “a foreign electronic media outlet, financed by western countries”.
Turkmenistan is trying actively to cooperate with and attract investments from the EU and US companies.Moreover, the US and the EU lobby the construction of gas pipelines TAPI and TANAP.
The US Embassy in Ashgabat conducts training and seminars for Turkmen experts, as well as funds projects to restore and preserve historic and cultural sites in Turkmenistan.
On 13 June President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov held a session of the Security Council and replaced some executives of law enforcement agencies.
The National Security Ministry Dovrangeldy Bairamov was relieved from his post and demoted to a lower rank, and Colonel Shadurdy Durdyev was appointed the head of the Migration Office.
On a regular basis President Berdymukhammedov carries out inspections to check combat readiness and personally operates military vehicles and equipment purchased for Turkmen border patrols.
It should be noted that in February 2017 a border crossing checkpoint at Serkhatabat border unit was opened.