Digital Phablet

Tag: Tajikistan

  • Tajikistan neutralizes four terrorists near Afghan border

    Tajikistan neutralizes four terrorists near Afghan border

    Tajik service members participate in a military parade near the Afghanistan border in Khorog (Khorugh), Tajikistan. — Reuters/File

    – Incidents along Tajikistan’s 1,350-kilometer border with Afghanistan are increasing.
    – Attacks have resulted in the deaths of guards and Chinese workers.
    – Tajikistan is calling on the Taliban to help control cross-border militancy.

    Tajik officials announced Sunday that they “neutralized” four terrorists who had crossed from neighboring Afghanistan, in an area where recent weeks have seen a surge in deadly events, according to state media reports.

    Located in Central Asia, Tajikistan shares a rugged, mountainous border with Afghanistan and maintains strained relations with the Afghan Taliban government.

    Sources in Tajik security services, as reported by the state news agency Khovar, said that “four terrorists were neutralized” after refusing to lay down their weapons in the southern Khatlon region.

    Since November, Tajikistan’s border has witnessed at least five deadly incidents along its lengthy, mountainous frontier—stretching roughly 840 miles (1,350 kilometers). An AFP tally, based on official figures, reports a total of 16 deaths, including Tajik border guards, Chinese nationals, and individuals Tajik authorities label as “smugglers” and “terrorists.”

    In response to attacks targeting Chinese citizens in November, Tajik authorities urged the Taliban to implement measures to stabilize the volatile border zone, where traffickers and militant groups are active.

    While other Central Asian leaders are deepening ties with the Taliban, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon—who has held power since 1992—publicly criticizes Afghanistan’s authorities and urges respect for the rights of ethnic Tajiks, who represent about a quarter of Afghanistan’s population.

    Despite his criticisms, Tajikistan is also taking steps towards cooperation with Kabul through initiatives like electricity supplies, opening border markets, and holding meetings between Taliban officials and local authorities.

    Relations deteriorated further after five Chinese nationals were killed and several wounded in attacks along the Tajik-Afghan border in late November and early December. A UN report from December highlighted that a militant group, Jamaat Ansarullah, has fighters operating across various Afghan regions with the primary objective of destabilizing Tajikistan.

    Tajik authorities have expressed concerns about the presence of Daesh fighters in Afghanistan’s Khorasan region.

  • Afghanistan and Tajikistan Collaborate on Border Clash Investigation

    Afghanistan and Tajikistan Collaborate on Border Clash Investigation

    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.

  • Tajik Forces Neutralize Three Terrorists After Afghan Border Breach

    Tajik Forces Neutralize Three Terrorists After Afghan Border Breach

    Three armed militants crossed into Tajikistan from Afghanistan, declining to surrender when ordered. Tajik security forces responded quickly, pinpointing their location and instructing them to give up. Instead, the militants resisted with weapons, resulting in the forces neutralizing all three in a firefight. Authorities recovered weapons including an M-16, a Kalashnikov rifle, three foreign-made pistols with silencers, ten hand grenades, a night-vision device, explosives, and other military gear from the militants. During the clash, two border patrol officers were also killed.

    This was the third recent incident of illegal cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Tajikistan over the past month. The Tajik government criticized the Afghan Taliban’s failure to prevent terrorist groups from using its territory to launch attacks into neighboring countries. The attack follows recent assaults which killed five Chinese nationals and wounded five others, with China’s embassy in Dushanbe warning Chinese citizens to evacuate border regions immediately.

    Since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021, Pakistan has highlighted an increase in terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan, with the country suffering nearly 1,200 deaths this year alone due to terrorism connected to Afghan-based networks. Cross-border tensions escalated in October when Taliban militants launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistani border posts, resulting in over 200 Taliban fighters and militants killed, and 23 Pakistani soldiers losing their lives. Pakistan responded with precise strikes inside Afghanistan targeting terrorist hideouts, notably in Kandahar and Kabul. A ceasefire was briefly declared and later formalized in talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey, aiming to stop cross-border terrorism and establish lasting peace mechanisms. However, negotiations faltered after Pakistan rejected some of the Taliban’s arguments and concerns regarding ongoing attacks, though efforts to uphold the ceasefire persisted through continued diplomacy.

  • Afghanistan Pledges Border Cooperation Following Attack Toll

    Afghanistan Pledges Border Cooperation Following Attack Toll

    Afghanistan’s Taliban government has told neighboring Tajikistan that it’s ready to enhance border security and pursue joint investigations. This comes after attacks—some launched from Afghan territory—that resulted in the deaths of five Chinese nationals last week, according to Dushanbe.

    During a phone call Tuesday with Tajik Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Afghan official expressed regret over the incidents and emphasized Kabul’s readiness to escalate border cooperation. He noted that “joint measures against malicious elements are of urgent importance.”

    Muttaqi stated, “The Islamic Emirate is fully prepared to bolster border security, collaborate on investigations, and coordinate in any necessary way.” He also mentioned that a recently developed atmosphere of trust between the two countries should be preserved and not undermined.

    Tajik officials reported that the two attacks—including one employing drones to drop grenades—also injured five Chinese workers. China’s embassy confirmed the casualties and advised Chinese citizens to leave the border region.

    In response, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon ordered stricter border controls following these events, which took place along the remote, mountainous frontier.

    China remains a significant investor in Tajikistan, a Central Asian nation aligned with Russia and home to approximately 11 million people.

  • Tajikistan Reports Five Chinese Nationals Killed in Border Attacks from Afghanistan

    Tajikistan Reports Five Chinese Nationals Killed in Border Attacks from Afghanistan

    Five Chinese nationals have been killed and five others injured in Tajikistan in recent attacks launched from neighboring Afghanistan over the past week, according to Tajik authorities and China’s embassy in the country. The embassy in Dushanbe has advised Chinese businesses and personnel to evacuate the border region immediately.

    They reported that Chinese citizens were targeted in an armed assault near the Afghan border on Sunday. Additionally, a separate attack on Friday resulted in three Chinese deaths, with Tajik officials claiming it involved drone strikes dropping grenades.

    Tajikistan, a mountainous, secular republic with a population of roughly 11 million, maintains tense relations with Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. The country has previously raised concerns about drug traffickers and illegal gold miners operating along its remote frontier.

    China, which shares a mountainous border with Tajikistan, is a key investor in the region. There has been no immediate response from Afghan authorities to Tajikistan’s statements on Monday. However, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry last week blamed an unidentified group seeking to destabilize the area and said it is willing to cooperate with Tajik officials.

    Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s team met with security chiefs on Monday to review border security measures. Rahmon strongly condemned the provocative acts by Afghan citizens and ordered decisive actions to address the situation and prevent further incidents.

    Historically, Tajikistan experienced a violent civil war in the 1990s after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. During this period, Rahmon rose to power. The nation remains closely aligned with Russia, which maintains a military base there.

    Millions of Tajiks, a Persian-speaking people, live across the border in Afghanistan, and Tajikistan has traditionally supported Afghan Tajiks opposed to the Taliban.

  • Three Chinese Nationals Die in Tajik-Afghan Border Skirmish

    Three Chinese Nationals Die in Tajik-Afghan Border Skirmish

    Tajikistan has a tense relationship with the Taliban, marked by multiple recent border skirmishes. Last year, a Chinese worker was killed in an attack originating from Afghanistan near their shared border.

    Tajik officials reported that three Chinese employees were killed during an assault involving firearms and a drone loaded with grenades in the southern part of the country. Dushanbe typically refrains from issuing detailed public statements on such incidents and has not publicly suspected any particular group of perpetrators.

    Extremist militants remain active in the rugged mountain border region, which stretches approximately 840 miles (1,350 kilometers) between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. As a Muslim-majority and among the poorest nations in the former Soviet Union, Tajikistan has expressed ongoing concerns about the potential rise of militancy since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.

    President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, has openly criticized the Taliban, urging the group to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks, who constitute about a quarter of Afghanistan’s population of around 40 million. Despite these tensions, Tajikistan has maintained a cautious engagement strategy, including diplomatic talks, opening markets in border regions, and supplying electricity across the border.

    The Tajik government stated that criminal groups in neighboring Afghanistan continue to carry out actions aimed at destabilizing border areas. Several Chinese companies operate within Tajikistan, mainly in mining and natural resources, often located in the mountainous border zones. Last year’s deadly attack near the Afghan border underscores the ongoing security challenges faced in the region.

  • Quakes Shake Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Papua New Guinea

    Seismic scale displaying earthquake measurements. — AFP/File
    Seismic scale displaying earthquake measurements. — AFP/File

    Myanmar is still grappling with the devastation of a recent earthquake, when another moderate seismic event struck on Sunday. Papua New Guinea also experienced tremors, as did Tajikistan.

    A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred in Myanmar, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), as the struggling nation mourns the loss of thousands during its New Year water festival.

    The quake struck at a depth of 35 kilometers (approximately 21.75 miles), stated the seismological center.

    Additionally, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake was recorded in Tajikistan at a depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).

    The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a magnitude 5.79 quake in Papua New Guinea, occurring at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

    Despite these earthquakes happening on the same day, the countries are geographically distant from each other.

    Myanmar Grieves the Losses

    The earthquake in Myanmar struck just as thousands were celebrating the start of the annual water festival, “Thingyan.” This festive occasion, which symbolizes renewal through water-splashing rituals, was overshadowed by the tragedy of the recent quake that hit the region.

    The central cities of Mandalay and Sagaing have been left in ruins following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Two weeks after the disaster, which claimed the lives of over 3,600 people, many survivors are still living in temporary encampments surrounded by collapsed buildings, destroyed tea shops, and flattened hotels.

    Numerous individuals lack access to basic sanitation facilities, while finding clean drinking water requires long waits in line. As heavy rain is forecast, fears are rising about the stability of their makeshift shelters.

    The ruling military junta in Myanmar has ordered that the five-day festival be conducted without any music or dance.

    Since the earthquake on March 28, temperatures in Mandalay have soared to a scorching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit). At night, those living in tents face swarms of mosquitoes, waking early to queue for assistance.

    Officials report that over 5,200 structures have been destroyed, and the United Nations has indicated that more than two million people are currently in need due to this natural disaster.

    The tremors from the earthquakes were also felt as far away as Bangkok, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed, trapping dozens of workers.

  • Tajikistan to Impose Jail Time for Illegal Power Consumption

    Tajikistan to Impose Jail Time for Illegal Power Consumption

    Tajikistan’s New Law Imposes Heavy Penalties for Electricity Theft

    DUSHANBE: In a significant move amid ongoing energy hardships, Tajikistan has enacted new legislation that imposes prison sentences of up to 10 years for the illegal use of electricity. This decision comes as the nation faces a prolonged energy crisis, exacerbated by chronic water shortages affecting its infrastructure.

    Due to outdated energy systems and increasing demand, electricity consumption in Tajikistan is restricted for approximately six months each year.

    On Saturday, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources announced that individuals found attempting to tamper with or bypass electricity meters will be charged with criminal offenses. The announcement was notably covered by independent news outlets only on Monday, reflecting the government’s tight control over media coverage.

    The newly established regulations indicate that anyone disconnected from or trying to manipulate an electricity meter could face severe consequences, including hefty prison sentences. President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, leads the country that was once part of the Soviet Union.

    Earlier this month, Justice Minister Rustam Shoemurod expressed concern over individuals who alter meter readings to evade payments, stating that such actions "seriously undermine the nation’s economic interests."

    Tajikistan relies heavily on hydroelectric power, which accounts for roughly 95% of its electricity production. However, a persistent lack of water has resulted in regular power outages nationwide.

    In March, President Rakhmon voiced his worries over the inefficient use of electricity in a country where the average salary is less than $240 per month. He has been advocating for the expansive Rogun hydroelectric power plant as a possible remedy to the energy crisis. Originally proposed in the 1970s during the Soviet era, the project has faced numerous delays due to the dissolution of the USSR and the civil war in Tajikistan during the 1990s. Despite reviving the plan in the 2000s, costs have soared to over $6 billion.