Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Tajikistan on Wednesday reported the successful neutralization of three individuals belonging to a “terrorist group” attempting to infiltrate from Afghanistan. This incident, the second of its kind this year in the Central Asian nation, was officially disclosed by the KDAM security service on September 6.
According to the official Kabar news agency, citing the GKNB security service, the three individuals, who were Tajik natives, breached the Tajik-Afghan border during the night of August 29-30. They were en route to the village of Kevron with intentions of carrying out a terrorist act ahead of Tajikistan’s national holiday on September 9.
The assailants were identified as members of the Jamaat Ansarullah group, a jihadist organization primarily composed of ethnic Tajiks. This group has historical connections with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and close affiliations with the Taliban.
This event mirrors a similar incident in late April when Tajik security services reported the killing of two “terrorists” who had entered the country from Afghanistan. In this case as well, the GKNB confirmed that these individuals were associated with the Jamaat Ansarullah group.
Tajikistan, since gaining independence in 1991, has grappled with various militant Islamist groups. With the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, concerns of destabilization in Central Asia have escalated. Among the five Central Asian nations once part of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan has taken the most stringent stance against the Taliban and has hosted members of the Afghan opposition. The country has also bolstered its border patrols along the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Afghanistan.
