KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Tajikistan is in talks with Russia over the possible deployment of Russian troops to help patrol its border with Afghanistan following deadly attacks that killed five Chinese nationals near the frontier last week.
According to Reuters, citing Tajik security sources, Tajik officials have held talks with Russia about using forces from Moscow’s military base in Tajikistan for joint border patrols. The base, located near the capital Dushanbe, is Russia’s largest overseas military facility.
A source told Reuters: “We are currently in talks. I think a decision will be made… this week.” Two other sources at Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security confirmed that, if approved, Russia could also deploy helicopters to assist in patrolling the 1,344-kilometre (835-mile) mountainous border.
The discussions come after two separate attacks launched from Afghanistan killed five Chinese citizens and injured five others near the border. All the victims were employees of LLC Shohin SM, a Chinese-linked company operating in the border region.
Tajikistan’s foreign ministry described the incident as an “act of terrorism” and urged the Taliban to take effective measures to ensure stability and security along the shared border.
China also called on Tajik authorities to investigate the attack and advised its citizens to leave the border areas
In response, the Taliban’s foreign ministry said it was ready to cooperate with Tajikistan through information sharing, technical assistance, and joint assessments to identify those responsible for the attacks.
In recent years, Tajikistan and regional countries, including Russia, have repeatedly voiced concerns about terrorist threats from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and urged the Taliban to prevent the use of Afghan territory for attacks against other nations.
