Tajikistan: Five Chinese citizens killed in cross-border attack in Afghanistan last week

(Deutsche Welle) According to Reuters, Tajik authorities said on Monday (December 1) that five Chinese citizens were killed in Tajikistan in the past week in attacks from neighboring Afghanistan .

The Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan also issued a statement on December 1st, saying, "On the evening of November 30th, an armed attack occurred in the Darvoz district of Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan, resulting in casualties among Chinese citizens." The embassy's latest announcement did not mention the number of Chinese citizens injured or killed, but "once again reminds Chinese companies and personnel to urgently evacuate the Tajik-Afghanistan border region, and other Chinese citizens traveling in Tajikistan should not travel to the aforementioned areas and should take necessary safety precautions."

Three days earlier, on November 28, the Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan issued a notice stating that "an armed attack on the Tajik-Afghanistan border resulted in the deaths of three Chinese citizens and injuries to one. The embassy issued a reminder." The attack occurred in the Shamsidin Shokhin district of Khatlon region, on the Tajik-Afghanistan border. Reuters reported that Tajik authorities claimed the attack used drones to drop grenades—resulting in the deaths of three Chinese citizens.

According to Chinese sources, Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Guo Zhijun made an urgent phone call to the Tajik Foreign Minister and the First Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee on the evening of November 30.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's press office said on Monday that President Rahmon had met with security officials to discuss ways to strengthen border security. The press office stated that President Rahmon "strongly condemned the illegal and provocative actions of Afghan citizens and ordered effective measures to be taken to resolve the issue and prevent such incidents from happening again."

Tensions are high between Tajikistan and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Tajikistan is a secular (not Islamic) government with strained relations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Millions of Tajiks live in the border region of Afghanistan and speak Persian. Historically, Tajikistan has supported these Afghan Tajiks who oppose the Taliban.

Tajikistan had previously warned that drug traffickers and illegal gold miners were operating in the border region between the two countries.

Tajikistan, which has close relations with both Russia and China

In July 2024, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported that satellite images showed China building a secret military base in Tajikistan to counter the security threat posed by Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The images showed construction progressing steadily, including roads leading to the base, which was located at an altitude of 13,000 feet and included watchtowers and troops from both countries.

However, China immediately denied the news, stating that China "has no military bases in Central Asia."

Tajikistan is a mountainous Central Asian country with a population of approximately 11 million. It was formerly a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. After gaining independence from Moscow in the 1990s, Tajikistan experienced a brutal civil war, during which Rahmon came to power. The country maintains close ties with Russia , which maintains a military base in Tajikistan.

China borders Tajikistan and is a major investor in Tajikistan .