Rights group reports new raid by Kyrgyz troops in Uzbek areas of Kyrgyzstan

New raid by Kyrgyz forces against Uzbeks reported

OSH, Kyrgyzstan — Human Rights Watch says Kyrgyz government forces have raided an ethnic Uzbek neighborhood in Osh city, beating several dozen men and women and detaining 12.

Tuesday’s operation in Kyrgyzstan came a day after Kyrgyz troops and police swept into an ethnic Uzbek village on Osh’s outskirts, leaving at least 2 people dead and more than 20 wounded.

The brutal raids have reinforced the Uzbeks’ claims that authorities are colluding in the ethnic violence. The violence also is likely to discourage hundreds of thousands of displaced people who have fled Kyrgyzstan’s violence from returning home.

Human Rights Watch says Kyrgyz troops broke into a building in Osh’s Cheryomushki neighborhood Tuesday. It was one of the few surviving buildings in the area.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — Kyrgyz authorities say they plan to create a state-owned company to provide a U.S. air base with fuel, replacing a series of private intermediary firms set up under the recently deposed government.

A decree signed Tuesday by interim President Roza Otunbayeva orders the company to be formed over the next 10 days.

Kyrgyz prosecutors say that companies owned by a son of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev avoided almost $80 million in taxes on aviation fuel sold to the Manas base. The base acts as a key refueling point for warplanes flying over Afghanistan and a major hub for combat troop movement.

Officials at Manas said earlier this month that the base was due to receive fuel until last Sunday, but further deliveries would be subject to talks between the U.S. government and Kyrgyzstan.