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Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership announced on Saturday that they are collaborating with Tajikistan to investigate a recent border skirmish that resulted in five casualties, including two Tajik border guards. Tajikistan stated on Thursday that three individuals, described as members of a “terrorist” organization, had crossed into the country illegally through Khatlon province, which borders Afghanistan. Tajik security forces engaged the intruders, killing all three, but losing two border guards in the incident.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed that authorities are actively investigating the incidents on Tajik territory. He mentioned he had spoken with his Tajik counterpart and emphasized their joint efforts to prevent similar events. Muttaqi also voiced concerns that malicious groups may be attempting to underminethe diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations, though he did not specify which groups.
Tajikistan shares approximately 839 miles of rugged terrain with Afghanistan and has maintained a tense relationship with Kabul’s Taliban rulers, who regained control in 2021. Unlike other Central Asian leaders, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, who has held power since 1992, has openly criticized the Taliban and called on them to respect the rights of Tajik ethnic minorities in Afghanistan.
In late November and early December, Tajik authorities reported that at least five Chinese nationals were killed and several others wounded in two separate attacks along the border. A United Nations report from December indicated that Jamaat Ansarullah, a militant group, has fighters operating across various regions of Afghanistan with the primary goal of destabilizing Tajikistan. Additionally, Dushanbe remains concerned about the presence of Daesh members in Khorasan within Afghanistan.
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