China has ordered its citizens to immediately evacuate Tajikistan’s border region after a drone strike near the Afghanistan frontier killed three Chinese nationals and injured another, prompting Beijing to urge Tajik authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
According to Tajik authorities, on the night of November 26, a drone-and-firearms attack launched from Afghan territory struck workers of a Chinese company near the Afghan-Tajik border, killing three Chinese citizens and injuring another.
Following the incident, the Chinese embassy in Dushanbe urged all Chinese nationals to evacuate border-adjacent zones immediately. Tajikistan announced an investigation, but has not yet publicly attributed responsibility for the attack.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad strongly condemned the strike, calling it a “heinous terrorist attack.”
In its statement, Pakistan expressed deep condolences to the governments and peoples of China and Tajikistan. The ministry warned that the use of armed drones underscores the grave threat emanating from Afghan territory.
Islamabad reiterated that it has long warned against Afghanistan being used as safe haven by terrorist elements, stressing the need for credible action to dismantle militant networks and prevent cross-border terrorism targeting neighbouring states.
