Another shooting erupts on Tajik–Afghan border, casualties reported

Another shooting incident has occurred on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, according to the Border Troops of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security.

According to the report, at around 7:30 p.m. on January 29, five Afghan smugglers illegally crossed the border and entered Tajikistan near the Bahorak border post of military unit No. 0341.

Surveillance operations allowed border guards to determine the group’s route. The armed smugglers ignored commands from border guards, offered resistance, and attempted to flee back toward Afghanistan. As a result of the ensuing gunfire, three Afghan smugglers were neutralized at the scene. Two others managed to escape toward Afghanistan under the cover of darkness.

The report said that three Kalashnikov assault rifles, 150 rounds of ammunition, four packages containing a total of 73 units of narcotic substances — including hashish and opium — as well as a boat were seized at the scene.

A criminal case has been opened under several articles of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, including Article 200 (illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances with intent to sell), Article 289 (smuggling), Article 335 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Tajikistan), and Article 195 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of weapons, ammunition, explosives, or explosive devices). An investigation is currently underway.

It is worth noting that this is not the first armed clash on the Tajik–Afghan border. Earlier reports stated that four armed terrorists who had illegally entered Tajikistan from Afghanistan were eliminated.

Alikulov Javohir