Kyrgyzstan's border guard service said Tajik forces once again opened fire on several of its outposts early on Friday

lashes took place along the whole length of the border with Tajik forces using tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and mortars.

Tajikistan accused Kyrgyz forces of shelling one of its outposts and seven villages with “heavy weaponry”. A civilian was killed and three injured, authorities in the Tajik city of Isfara said.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon are both attending a regional security summit in Uzbekistan and appeared, together with a number of other leaders.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, both former Soviet republics, host Russian military bases and have close ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also attending the Samarkand summit.

On Wednesday, Russia called on the two countries to take urgent measures to bring the situation on the border under control.

The governors of Kyrgyz and Tajik provinces adjacent to the border were set to meet at a border crossing point in another attempts to end the conflict.

Clashes over the poorly demarcated border between the two former Soviet republics are frequent, but usually de-escalate quickly, although last year they almost led to an all-out war.