Breaking: Cross-Border Attacks in Tajikistan Raise โคfearsโ of Escalation,5 โChinese Nationals Killed
Dushanbe,Tajikistan โ – A surge โคin cross-border attacks originating from Afghanistan is โฃfueling tensions between Tajikistan and the Taliban-led government,with five Chinese citizens employed by Chinese โconstruction companies โขkilled in two โฃseparate โincidentsโค within the past month. The โคattacks have prompted strong condemnation from โTajikistan and demands for increased โborder security from Kabul.
Theโฃ latestโฃ incident occurred on Sunday at approximately โค18:45 local time near the village of Shodak, in Tajikistan’s Darvaz district. Gunfire reportedly originated from the Afghan village of Ruzvayak, located in the Mohi Mai district ofโ Badakhshan province, targeting employees of China Road and Bridge Corporation, a Chinese state-owned construction company. Two Chinese nationals were killed and two others injured.
Thisโค follows a similar โฃattack on November 26th in theโฃ Shamshiddin Shohin district, where three Chinese employees of the Shokhin-SM company were killed โand โoneโ injured. Both attacksโ were traced back to Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province.
Tajikistan’s State Committee for โNationalโ Security (GKNB) has expressed โ”deep concern” and “strongly condemns the alarming actions by this criminal โgroup,” calling โฃon the current Afghan โauthoritiesโ to take “timelyโฃ and effective action.” Theโฃ Tajik Foreign Ministry labeled the attacks a “brutal actโค by a terrorist group” and urged Afghan authorities to ensureโ the security of โฃthe border region.
In response, the Taliban representatives offered condolences โto Tajikistan andโข China, stating the attacks were carried out by factions attemptingโ to “create tension and distrust between countries in the region.” They expressedโ willingness โto cooperate in investigationsโค and information sharing.
Tajikistanโ President Emomali Rahmon convened an emergency meeting โคwith security officials, “strongly โcondemn[ing] the illegal and provocative actions of โฃAfghans” and ordering stricter preventive measures and increased surveillance along theโ entireโฃ borderโ zone.
Tajikistan has taken “additional โคsteps to strengthen border protection and ensure the safety โof tajik citizensโฃ and foreign workers,”โฃ according to the โคGKNB. The situation isโ currently reported as “stable and โคunder โฃcontrol,” with investigations โขongoing.
(tps/luc)
