Uzbek company in Afghanistan suffers an armed attack

On August 20, Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov had a telephone conversation with his counterpart from Afghanistan Hanif Atmar.

“During the conversation, the parties discussed the armed attack on representatives of the “Sugdiyona Trans” company, which took place on August 20 in the Balkh province of Afghanistan. The Afghan Foreign Minister stressed that the details of the incident are being carefully investigated by the country’s authorities, and those who have been involved will be brought to justice,” the MFA press service said.

The Uzbek side called for increased security measures for employees of Uzbekistan’s companies and enterprises operating in Afghanistan.

Later, the press service of Uzbekistan Railways JSC provided additional details on the armed attack that took place in the Balkh province of Afghanistan. It was noted that no Uzbek citizens were killed in the incident.

“The deputy head of the company’s coordination department, a driver and a soldier of the Afghan Interior Ministry’s railway guard battalion, who came to take the company’s employees to work, left the Khayraton workers’ base.

Then they were attacked by unknown individuals near the 43rd kilometer of the railway.

As a result of the attack, the deputy head of the company’s coordination department was injured, and two Afghan citizens (a soldier of the Interior Ministry’s railway guard battalion and an unknown assailant) were killed,” the JSC’s report reads.

For information, “Sugdiyona Trans” was established in December 2011 under the O’zbektemiryo’lekspeditsia unitary enterprise (part of Uzbekistan Railways) to operate and maintain the Hairaton – Mazar-i-Sharif railway.