Collective Security Treaty Organization to Reinforce Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border Amid Rising Insecurity

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has announced plans to equip Tajikistan’s border forces with advanced military weapons and equipment to curb the escalating armed conflicts and insecurity along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. This move comes amid growing concerns over the infiltration of armed militants and smugglers from Afghan territory.

The decision followed an incident on January 29, when Tajik security forces clashed with a group of suspected drug smugglers in the Khatlon province. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of three armed individuals, while others retreated into Afghan soil. Tajik officials reported that during the operation, a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and 73 packages of narcotics, including hashish and opium, were discovered and confiscated.

According to Tajik authorities, insecurity in this border zone has sharply increased in recent months. Notably troubling were attacks in November allegedly carried out by militants affiliated with extremist groups, which claimed the lives of five Chinese workers. Following these events, China suspended several of its infrastructure and extraction projects located in Tajikistan’s border regions.

Interfax news agency, citing Talatbek Masadikov, CSTO Secretary-General, reported that the organization is finalizing the list of military and technical equipment to be delivered to Tajikistan. He stated that the equipment aims to strengthen border forces’ capabilities to prevent the infiltration of militants and smugglers from Afghanistan. The process of identifying suppliers and signing contracts is ongoing.

While the exact timing of the delivery remains unspecified, these developments underscore the region’s growing security concerns regarding Afghanistan. Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan continues to face serious challenges in controlling armed groups and trafficking networks, with repercussions felt beyond its borders.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, with Armenia also officially a member, although it has currently suspended its participation.