The Taliban’s foreign minister has said that “malicious elements” are seeking to disrupt relations between the Taliban and Tajikistan, following the killing of Tajik border guards in an attack by militants who crossed from Afghan territory.
Amir Khan Muttaqi said an investigation into the incident has begun and stressed that cooperation with Tajikistan would continue to prevent a recurrence. His remarks followed a phone call with his Tajik counterpart after Dushanbe demanded an apology from the Taliban.
Tajik authorities announced on Thursday, December 25, that three members of what they described as a “terrorist organization” crossed into Tajik territory from Shamsiddin Shohin district. According to officials, clashes with Tajik border guards killed three militants and two Tajik security personnel.
Following the incident, Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said the repetition of armed attacks over the past month showed the Taliban had acted “irresponsibly” in fulfilling its international commitments and repeated assurances to ensure security along the shared border and to combat terrorist groups.
Taliban Say Investigation Under Way
Speaking on Saturday at a ceremony in Kabul marking the 46th anniversary of the former Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Muttaqi said: “We have launched a serious investigation into the Tajikistan incident.”
He added that he had spoken with Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Tajikistan foreign minister and that both sides agreed to work jointly to prevent similar incidents in the future.
However, Muttaqi warned that unnamed actors were attempting to undermine relations between Kabul and Dushanbe. “Our concern is that certain malicious circles want to damage relations between the two neighbors and portray the situation as a crisis,” he said.
He did not identify any specific group or country. Previously, some Taliban-linked media activists have claimed that Pakistan was seeking to disrupt the Taliban’s relations with Central Asian states, particularly Tajikistan. Islamabad has not responded to those claims.
The Taliban foreign minister also said security had been established in Badakhshan province, as in other parts of Afghanistan, and reiterated that the Taliban would cooperate to ensure Afghan territory is not used to threaten neighboring countries.
