Uzbekistan detains 84 Afghan servicemen who crossed border fleeing Taliban

Uzbekistanhas detained84Afghanmilitaryservicemenwhocrossedtheborderon Saturday, the Tashkent government said on Sunday, adding that another group of soldiers had amassed near abordercheckpoint on theAfghanside.

AfghanservicemencrossedtheborderintoUzbekistanand Tajikistan in a similar way last month when they retreated from the Taliban insurgents' offensive, which has accelerated in recent days leaving little but the capital Kabul in theAfghangovernment's hands.

On Sunday, insurgents took the key eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight.

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Uzbekistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that the first group of84Afghansoldiers made no attempts to resist when Uzbekborderguards detained them but instead sought medical help.

The Tashkent government is also providing humanitarian aid to a group ofAfghansoldierswhohave amassed on theAfghanside of the Termez-Khairaton bridge, the ministry said. The bridge is a car and railway link between the two countries.

Uzbekistanis in talks with Kabul on returning the troops home and resolving the situation at the bridge, it said.