Afghan refugee on fleeing to Uzbekistan

Afghan refugee Rakhmatula Kuyash was one of the few people with an Uzbek visa allowing him to cross from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan for refuge on Sunday. The 30-year-old shop owner had to leave his children and relatives on the Afghan side of the border as Uzbek authorities denied entry for refugees without visas.

"I'm lost and I don't know what to do," said Kuyash "I left everything behind - house, shops, work." Kuyash also spoke of the numbers of others trying to flee the troubled country, "after us I saw that many people came. I saw more than 200-300 people," he said. Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry reported Sunday that 84 Afghan servicemen crossed the border into Uzbekistan asking for assistance.

Uzbek guards detained the group of Afghan military when they crossed the border. The group included three wounded soldiers that needed medical help, the ministry said. The men were offered food and temporary accommodation in Uzbekistan, and the ministry was in touch with Afghan officials regarding the return of Afghan soldiers to their home country.

The announcement Sunday came as Taliban fighters entered Kabul after a week-long blitz ahead of the final pullout of American and NATO troops.