Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said in a statement that three Afghan drug traffickers crossed into the country’s Khatlon region early today, and two of them were killed in a clash with Tajik border guards.
The statement said the individuals illegally entered Tajik territory at around 12:50 a.m. local time. Tajik forces launched an operation, identified their route, and prevented the smuggling of a “large volume” of narcotics.
The committee said the traffickers refused to comply with orders to surrender and resisted with armed force. As a result, two were killed, while the third fled back to Afghanistan under the cover of darkness.
Tajik border guards recovered the bodies of the two traffickers, two Kalashnikov rifles, two magazines containing 35 rounds of ammunition, a hunting bow, and two sacks containing 25 packages of narcotics.
The statement said the seized drugs were hashish, with a total weight of 25 kilograms.
The committee said it will continue to “deliver a lawful and appropriate response to any border violations” to ensure the country’s security, adding that the situation along the border is currently under control.
Tajik officials had previously said that in 2025, 17 armed clashes occurred along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border involving “Afghan traffickers,” resulting in the deaths of 10 Afghan nationals.
