Two killed in Tajik-Afghan border clash

A Tajik border guard and a gunman have been killed during a clash on the country’s border with Afghanistan, Tajikistan’s border guard officials say.

"A clash between a border patrol and a nine-strong group, which was armed to their teeth and had crossed over from Afghanistan, took place near the Panj border post," the guard said in a Sunday statement, calling the gunmen a "terrorist group" and "smugglers."

The statement said one of the armed men was also injured during the gunfight, adding that the gunmen had crossed over from Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz.

The Panj border post is located about 190 km south of Tajikistan’s capital city, Dushanbe.Tajik border guards carried out 30 attacks against Afghan gunmen and drug smugglers last year, killing 16 armed men.

SS