At least three Chinese workers were killed in Tajikistan on Thursday in an attack launched from Afghanistan near the shared border, Tajik authorities confirmed.
The incident targeted employees of a Chinese company operating in southern Tajikistan. According to the foreign ministry, the assault involved both firearms and a drone carrying grenades. “The attack claimed the lives of three employees of Chinese nationality,” the ministry said, without naming any suspects or groups responsible.
Tajikistan maintains a tense relationship with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and several border clashes have occurred in recent months. The mountainous border region, stretching roughly 1,350 kilometers, has seen heightened militant activity, raising security concerns for both nations.
The Central Asian country’s leadership has expressed worry over the potential spread of extremism since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, in power since 1992, has been openly critical of the Taliban and urged the group to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks, who constitute around a quarter of Afghanistan’s 40 million population.
Despite political tensions, Tajikistan has engaged cautiously with Afghanistan in select areas, including diplomatic meetings, cross-border trade in market towns, and electricity supply agreements. Nevertheless, the foreign ministry warned on Thursday that “criminal groups located in the neighbouring country continue to commit acts aimed at destabilising the situation in the border regions.”
Chinese companies are active in Tajikistan, particularly in mining and natural resource sectors, with many operations situated in remote, mountainous border areas. The attack highlights ongoing security risks for foreign workers in these regions.
This is not the first incident of its kind; a Chinese worker was killed in a similar attack near the Afghan border last year, underscoring the persistent dangers faced by international personnel in Tajikistan’s border zones.
Leave a comment