Tajikistan is seeking additional support from Russia to contain a surge in cross-border attacks carried out by Islamic militants operating from Afghanistan, after two deadly incidents in the past week left five Chinese nationals dead.

According to a Reuters report published on December 2, Tajik officials are in talks with Russian counterparts about joint patrols along the nearly 850-mile frontier with Afghanistan. Russia already maintains thousands of troops at military facilities in and around Dushanbe, operating under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Moscow’s lease on these bases runs until 2042.

The security issue has been a point of concern for months. During a visit to Tajikistan in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to strengthen security cooperation, calling the troop presence in Dushanbe a “guarantor of security” for both Tajikistan and the wider region.

Two deadly attacks target Chinese workers

Tajik authorities say the trouble began on November 26, when Islamic militants in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province launched a drone attack on a Chinese workers’ camp in Tajikistan’s Khatlon region. The Chinese embassy in Tajikistan confirmed that three workers were killed and one injured, condemning the strike as a “grave criminal act” and urging Chinese nationals in border areas to evacuate.

Chinese diplomats in Afghanistan issued similar warnings to Chinese workers at gold mining sites in the north of the country.

A second attack occurred on November 30 in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, killing two more Chinese workers and injuring two others.

Tajikistan demands action from Kabul

Following the second attack, President Emomali Rahmon convened an emergency security meeting and directed officials to prevent further incidents. Tajikistan’s State Security Service criticized the authorities in Kabul and called for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to stop the cross-border assaults and arrest those responsible. The agency acknowledged that “at present, the situation is not stable at the state border.”

Officials of the Islamic Emirate denied any involvement, with a Foreign Ministry representative telling Tolo News that the attacks were likely carried out by radical elements seeking to “create chaos, instability, and distrust among countries in the region.”

Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi sought to reassure his Tajik counterpart, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, in a December 2 teleconference that Kabul would fully coordinate with Dushanbe and that “joint action against hostile elements” was essential.

Russia calls for deeper engagement with Kabul

Also on December 2, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia supports increased engagement with the authorities in Kabul, which Moscow formally recognized in July, noting that Afghanistan remains “an important country in the region.”