Tajikistan says 5 killed in armed clash on border with Afghanistan

Five people were killed in an armed clash on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Tajik state media said on Thursday.

Citing a statement by the Border Troops of the Tajik State Committee for National Security, state news agency Khovar reported that three people crossed into the country late on Tuesday in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the country’s southwestern Khatlon region, and were later located on Wednesday.

“The terrorists refused to obey orders from Tajik border guards to surrender and offered armed resistance. They intended to carry out an armed attack on one of the border posts of the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan,” the statement said.

“As a result of the combat operation, all three terrorists were neutralised,” the statement said, adding that two Tajik border officers were killed during the clashes.

According to the statement, this was the third “armed attack, terrorist act, and border crossing” from Afghanistan in the past month.

It also accused the Afghan government of “demonstrating serious and repeated irresponsibility and non-commitment in fulfilling its international obligations and consistent promises to ensure security and stability” on the Tajik-Afghan border.

The Tajik statement additionally expressed hope that the Afghan administration will “apologise to the people of Tajikistan and take additional effective measures to ensure security on the border with Tajikistan”.

Afghanistan did not immediately comment on the development.

Earlier this month, Tajikistan said five people were killed and five others injured in two previous cross-border attacks from Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon commissioned four new border outposts, as well as a training range for tanks at the Harb-Maidon training ground near the Tajik-Afghan border, as part of efforts to bolster border security amid growing concerns over cross-border attacks.