DUSHANBE, Tajikistan: Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday stated that three Chinese nationals working for the Tajik company Shokhin SM were killed in a drone attack launched from Afghanistan’s territory on the country’s southern border, Khatlon region, on the night of 26 November.
The attack targeted the camp of the company’s employees located within the area of responsibility of the 1st Border Guard Post “Istiqlol” of the “Yol” Border Detachment in Khatlon region, Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The attackers used a drone equipped with grenades and firearms to carry out the attack, the ministry stated.
The Ministry said the terrorist assault came despite Tajikistan’s ongoing efforts to maintain security and stability along the border with Afghanistan.
“Tajikistan strongly condemns these acts of terrorist groups and calls on the ruling Afghan authorities to take effective measures to ensure stability and security on the state border between the two countries,” the Ministry said in its statement.
The Ministry expressed deep concern over the continuing disruptive actions by terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory. Tajikistan emphasised its commitment to preserving peace and stability in the border areas.
According to Chinese media, terrorists from Afghanistan targeted a private company’s camp using a drone, killing three Chinese citizens. Following the incident, Tajikistan described the attack from Afghanistan as an act of terrorism.
Tajikistan’s foreign ministry described the strike as a deliberate operation targeting Shokhin SM personnel working along the frontier near the Afghan border.
Shokhin SM is a Tajik construction and infrastructure contractor headquartered in Khatlon and frequently employed on roadwork, tunnel reinforcement, and border area engineering projects that support both civil development and the security services operating in remote frontier zones.
The workers were reportedly present near an active project site connected to ongoing reinforcement work along roads that link the mountainous frontier settlements with Shamsiddin Shohin’s district centre.
Officials in Dushanbe said the attack matched the pattern of previous cross-border raids carried out by Afghan-based terrorist groups that operate in the rugged terrain of northern Afghanistan opposite Khatlon.
Quadcopter drone attack from Afghanistan into Tajikistan kills 3 Chinese workers.
Similar to the Quadcopter drones used against Pakistani troops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by non-state actors.
Although there are no claims the East Turkistan Islamic Front would be the primary accused. https://t.co/u0RDMjYNBW— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) November 27, 2025
The area across the border from Shamsiddin Shohin is known to host factions tied to Islamic State Khorasan Province and multiple smuggling groups that transit weapons and narcotics through the Panj River corridor, Tessaron News reported.
The attack highlights the persistent challenge of terrorist groups’ sanctuaries in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.
Tensions between Dushanbe and the Taliban regime in Kabul have remained high since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon has frequently criticised the Taliban and urged the group to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan, who make up an estimated quarter of the country’s 40 million population.
Several Chinese companies operate in Tajikistan’s remote mining and natural resource sectors, often in sensitive border regions.
Last year, a similar attack near the Afghan border claimed the life of one Chinese worker, raising further concerns over the safety of foreign investors.
Afghanistan’s neighbour, Pakistan, has also repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities in Kabul to take effective action against terrorist groups based in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban regime failed to act against the terrorist groups, including the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has increased.
