Tajikistan is holding talks with Russia and a Moscow-led security alliance over the possibility of Russian troops helping patrol the tense border with Afghanistan, three Tajik security sources told Reuters. The discussions come after a series of deadly attacks launched from across the border left five Chinese nationals dead and five others wounded in the past week.
President Emomali Rahmon met with top security officials on Monday to assess the situation. China, which has several mining and business projects in the area, has advised its citizens to urgently leave the border region for their safety.
One source from Tajikistan’s Security Council said authorities have begun talks with Russia about deploying troops from Moscow’s military base in Tajikistan to conduct joint patrols along the 1,344-kilometre border. The base, located near Dushanbe, is Russia’s largest overseas military facility. The source said a decision could be made within the week.
Two additional security officials confirmed that discussions are underway. If approved, Russia would assist by using helicopters to patrol the mountainous frontier, where security risks have increased.
The Tajik and Russian defence ministries declined to comment. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) — a regional military alliance led by Moscow — is also involved in the talks, according to the sources, but has not issued a public statement.
On the Afghan side, the Taliban administration has expressed readiness to cooperate on border security. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a call with his Tajik counterpart, offered condolences and said Kabul is prepared to strengthen coordination between border forces. He said joint action against hostile groups is urgently needed and stressed that recent improvements in trust between the two countries should not be undermined.
Before 2005, Russian forces stationed in Tajikistan were responsible for guarding the Afghan border. Tajikistan has handled border security independently since then, but the rising threat of cross-border violence has pushed the government to consider renewed Russian involvement.
