Refugees from Kyrgyzstan return to their burned-out homes in the shattered city of Osh. They had found shelter from ethnic bloodshed in neighboring Uzbekistan.

Uzbek military officials said about 5,000 refugees crossed back into Kyrgyzstan voluntarily on Tuesday.

400,000 ethnic Uzbeks fled the violence.

[Minura Valiyeva, Ethnic Uzbek Refugee]:
"We have bitter feelings, we are afraid that the same might happen again, we wouldn't wish anybody anything like this. And we don't know what to expect.”

As Kyrgyzstan's interim government prepares for a June 27 referendum on constitutional reform, many of those returning were unsure where to go.

Some huddled at the border, others boarded mini-buses into the center of Osh - the Kyrgyz city six miles from the border - that was the epicenter of the violence. The city was tense a day after security forces stormed ethnic Uzbek neighborhoods to search for weapons.

Ethnic Uzbeks have blockaded themselves into parts of Osh, afraid of renewed violence. They told stories of being beaten by security forces who stole money and sacks of flour delivered as humanitarian aid.

Just a few hundred Uzbeks remain in the suburb, where two days earlier more than 1,500 people had sought refuge in concrete stables and dog kennels. Many have returned to their homes.

Three days of killing began on June 10, when coordinated attacks by unidentified individuals in balaclavas quickly led to fierce fighting between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz.

Mainly Uzbek households were attacked and many locals have said state troops, comprising mainly ethnic Kyrgyz soldiers, did little to protect them and in some cases took part in assaults.

The United States and Russia, which both operate military air bases in Kyrgyzstan, are concerned the unrest could spread to other parts of Central Asia.