Three Chinese workers killed in attack near Tajikistan–Afghanistan border

Tajikistan on Thursday confirmed that three Chinese workers were killed in an attack launched from inside Afghanistan near the southern border.

Authorities said the incident targeted employees of a Chinese company operating close to the frontier.

According to the foreign ministry, the assailants used firearms and a drone carrying grenades in the assault. The ministry said the strike resulted in the deaths of “three workers of Chinese nationality.”

Dushanbe did not identify any group suspected of carrying out the attack, and official comment on such incidents is rare.

Extremist networks remain active in the rugged border region that stretches nearly 1,350 kilometres between the two countries. Several clashes have occurred in recent months amid strained relations between Tajikistan and the Taliban administration in Kabul.

Tajikistan has voiced security concerns since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. President Emomali Rakhmon has been openly critical of the group and has called on Kabul to ensure the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan.

Despite the tension, the two sides continue limited cooperation, including border trade, electricity supply, and occasional diplomatic meetings.

The foreign ministry said that “criminal groups across the border” were involved in actions aimed at destabilising Tajikistan’s border districts.