Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 19 March, reports surfaced on social media about a fire near the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border.

The Surkhandarya regional administration clarified the situation, stating that the fire occurred in the neutral zone on small islands in the middle of the Amu Darya River.

According to local authorities, this was a planned burning of reeds aimed at preventing the spread of harmful insects and infectious diseases.

The operation was conducted with the approval of relevant agencies, and the fire was kept fully under control.

The regional administration urged the public not to panic and to refrain from spreading false information on social media.