Tajikistan kills Afghan militants in cross-border attack, blames Taliban

WEB DESK: Tajikistan’s national security authorities accused the Afghan Taliban regime of being complicit in terrorism after what they described as a cross-border attack originating from Afghanistan, the latest such incident reported this month.

According to the Tajik National Security Authority, Afghan militants illegally crossed into Tajik territory, prompting a swift response by Tajik security forces. In the ensuing operation, three Afghan militants were killed, the authority said.

Officials said the intruders were intercepted after they entered Tajikistan without authorisation and were engaged by security personnel during a counter-operation. A large cache of weapons was recovered from the slain militants, including automatic firearms and ammunition, the authority added, without providing further technical details.

“This group of Afghan terrorists crossed the border illegally and posed a serious threat to national security,” the Tajik National Security Authority said in a statement, reiterating claims that militant activity is being facilitated from across the border.

Third incident in a month

Tajik officials said this was the third case of border infiltration from Afghanistan in the past month, raising concerns in Dushanbe about growing instability along the porous frontier between the two countries.

Tajikistan, which shares a long and mountainous border with Afghanistan, has repeatedly warned of security risks since the Taliban took power in Kabul in August 2021. Authorities in Dushanbe have accused militant groups of exploiting weak border controls and using Afghan territory to plan and launch cross-border attacks.

While Tajik officials directly blamed the Taliban administration for “sponsoring terrorism,” Kabul has consistently rejected such allegations in the past, maintaining that it does not allow Afghan soil to be used against neighbouring states. There was no immediate response from Taliban officials to the latest claims.

Regional security concerns

The incident underscores broader regional anxieties about militant movements in and around Afghanistan, particularly in Central Asia. Tajikistan has previously reported arrests, armed encounters and attempted infiltrations linked to extremist groups, and has repeatedly called for stronger international engagement to address what it sees as a deteriorating security environment.

Analysts note that tensions between Tajikistan and the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan remain high, partly due to ideological differences and Tajikistan’s refusal to formally recognise the Taliban authorities.

Tajik security forces remain on heightened alert along the border, officials said, warning that any further attempts to violate the country’s territorial integrity would be met with firm action.