Tajikistan Reports Surge in Border Clashes with Afghanistan’s Drug Traffickers

Tajikistan recorded ten armed clashes with Afghanistan drug traffickers this year, mostly near Badakhshan. Over three tons of narcotics were seized amid rising cross-border tensions.

Tajikistan authorities have reported ten armed confrontations with drug traffickers along the Afghanistan border during the first half of this year, marking a significant increase compared to the same period last year.

According to Tajik media on Monday, August 4, Zafar Samad, head of the country’s Drug Control Agency, stated that most of these incidents occurred near Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province. In the most recent clash, four Afghanistan nationals were killed.

Afghanistan remains the main source of narcotics smuggled through Tajikistan. The Akipress agency reported that a total of 3,107 kilograms of narcotics have been seized so far this year, over one ton of which was intercepted near the border.

Tajikistan officials have stressed that drug trafficking has risen compared to last year. The Taliban has not commented on these developments.

Authorities in Tajikistan have consistently expressed concern about the presence of terrorist groups and drug trafficking networks operating from Afghanistan territory. These ongoing confrontations highlight the deepening security risks along the border.

Regional cooperation and stronger counter-narcotics coordination will be essential to addressing the growing threat of cross-border drug smuggling.

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