Citizen of Kyrgyzstan Alexander Ivanov, 42, was shot to death by a serviceman of the US Air Force. He fired two shots from a Beretta pistol in his chest, the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

According to specified information, the tragic incident took place at a checkpoint of the international antiterrorist coalition base located at Manas airport on Wednesday.

Personnel and equipment of the US Air Force constitute the backbone of the coalition. American serviceman Zakar Hatfield (according to other information Russel Daniel) who shot to death the driver of a company named Aerocraft Petrol Management is so far staying in the territory of the base. Under Kyrgyz-US agreements, the base personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity.

The base command insists that the killed driver “posed a threat” to the US AF military. However, the airport personnel say that on the day of his death Ivanov worked as usual following instructions – drove up to the checkpoint and entered a tend of the US military that were to inspect for security considerations the fuel truck at its entry to the aerodrome. However, Kyrgyz law enforcement sources say that Ivanov had a knife at the moment of death.

However, it is difficult now to confirm of disprove this information, because right after the shots the driver was rushed to the airbase hospital where he died on gunshot wounds. The US side did not hand over his body to the Kyrgyz authorities for a long time.

In connection with the accident the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry handed a note to US Ambassador in Bishkek Marie L. Yovanovitch in which demaded to conduct a thorough investigation into the tragic incident.

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