Tajikistan strengthens security on Afghanistan border, as Taliban launch offensive

Kabul (Afghanistan) July 6 (ANI): Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon on Tuesday has ordered strengthening the security at its border, in response to Taliban capturing large areas in northern Afghanistan leading to over 1,000 members of the Afghan security force fleeing the country, amid exit of the US troops.

The President directed heads of defence and law enforcement agencies to deploy 20,000 army personnel for reinforcing the border with Afghanistan, Pajhwok News reported citing Kyrgyz Republic’s AKI press

Rehmon also discussed the issue with his counterparts in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and both countries have agreed to pool cooperation in strengthening their borders in the face of Afghanistan’s deteriorating condition.

The decision came a day after 1,037 Afghan troops retreated to Tajikistan following clashes with the Taliban. In the recent development, Taliban militants took full control of the districts of Hohon, Shekay, Nusay, Maimay, Shughnon and Eshkashem in the Afghan province of Badakhshan, which borders Tajikistan.

According to RadioFree Liberty, Tajik authorities say that two-thirds of the 1,357-kilometer-long border with Afghanistan is under Taliban control and they are preparing for an influx of refugees to enter the country. They are already providing the Afghan soldiers with food and shelter.

Rehmon has also spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and according to a Kremlin statement, Putin confirmed that Moscow was ready to “provide Tajikistan with the necessary support,” both on a bilateral basis and through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance that includes Tajikistan. Russia has a military base in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic. (ANI)