Tajikistan: Recent attacks from Afghanistan aimed at damaging our relations with China

Habibullah Wahidzada, Tajikistan’s Prosecutor General, says the recent attacks launched from Afghan territory into the country’s border regions were intended to undermine Dushanbe’s relations with Beijing. He confirmed that five Chinese nationals were killed in these incidents.

Wahidzada told a press briefing that the latest border incident in the Shamsuddin Shohin and Darvoz districts point to deliberate attempts by criminal groups to destabilize the region.

“Chinese citizens are engaged in road construction. Who benefits from killing them? This clearly shows that certain individuals and criminal groups do not want peace or are seeking to harm our relations with China,” he said.

According to Wahidzada, the attacks on Chinese workers along the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border are being investigated as a criminal case, and authorities have determined that Tajik citizens were not involved in the killings.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has also stated that its assessments indicate the attacks were carried out by groups aiming to fuel instability and mistrust in the region. Kabul stressed that it will not allow the current atmosphere of trust or its relations with Tajikistan to be undermined.