 "Drone strike in Tajikistan kills 3 Chinese workers as Pakistan, Afghan Taliban trade veiled accusations")
A drone armed with grenades and firearms struck a gold mine in Tajikistan’s remote Khatlon province on Wednesday, November 26, killing three Chinese nationals and injuring one. The site has links to China. Tajik authorities said the attackers were “criminal groups located in the neighbouring country” and accused them of “continuing to commit acts aimed at destabilising the situation”.
While Kabul and Dushanbe avoided blaming each other directly, Pakistan immediately reacted to the incident, using it to criticise the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan unequivocally condemns this cowardly attack on Chinese nationals,” the foreign office said in a statement. “The use of armed drones in the incident underlines the gravity of threat emanating from Afghanistan and the brazenness of those behind it," it added.
Kabul rejects involvement and offers cooperation
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan sought to distance itself from the strike, saying it was carried out by a “circle” aiming to create “chaos, instability, and distrust between countries in the region”. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued condolences to China and Tajikistan, strongly condemning the killings.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad, Director of Public Communication for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, said Kabul had assured Dushanbe of information sharing, technical assistance, and joint assessments to help determine who was responsible.
Although Tajikistan did not explicitly blame Afghanistan, its remarks made clear where suspicion lay.
The Taliban regime remains in conflict with Pakistan’s military and political leadership over the issue of US drone strikes and the alleged sheltering of Islamic State of Khorasan Province terrorists on Pakistani territory. Afghan military analysts have long claimed that Pakistan has permitted ISKP training camps to operate within its borders.
Dushanbe reiterated that cross-border attacks continue to pose a serious threat to regional stability.
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