Tajikistan says five killed in shootings from Afghan territory amid rising border tensions

Tajikistan said on Monday that five people were killed and five others wounded over the past week in two separate shooting incidents originating from inside Afghan territory, marking a further escalation in security concerns along the Central Asian nation’s southern frontier.

In a statement, the presidential office said President Emomali Rahmon reviewed the situation with security officials and described the cross-border fire as “illegal and provocative.”

He instructed agencies to adopt “effective measures” to prevent similar incidents. The statement did not provide details about the identities of the victims or the precise timing of the attacks.

The announcement followed a separate incident reported on November 26, when Tajikistan’s foreign ministry said three Chinese workers were killed in an armed and drone attack launched from Afghan soil in Khatlon province. According to the ministry, the assault targeted the camp of an engineering company, Shahin SM LLC, near the “Esteqlol” border outpost in the Yul sector, and involved both a grenade-carrying drone and small-arms fire.

Tajik authorities said “criminal groups based in Afghanistan” continue destabilising activities despite Tajikistan’s efforts to secure the frontier.

The ministry condemned the attacks and urged the Taliban authorities to take “effective measures” to ensure stability and security along the shared border.

The incidents occurred near a sensitive section of the more than 1,350-km Afghan–Tajik border, which officials say remains one of Central Asia’s most insecure due to the presence of armed networks and smuggling groups. Dushanbe has repeatedly warned of increasing security threats since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

China is a major investor in Tajikistan’s mining and infrastructure sectors, and several Chinese companies operate in remote mountain regions close to the Afghan border.

This comes after a delegation from Tajikistan visited Kabul in mid-November where they met with various Taliban officials, including their intellegence cheif.