DUSHANBE, June 2, 2009, Asia-Plus -- One Tajik border has been wounded and one Afghan drug trafficker has been killed in a skirmish on the border in the southern Khatlon province.

Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the main border directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) said that servicemen from the Panj border unit on a routine patrol spotted and tried to detain a group of armed persons who were illegally crossing the border river in early hours of Monday.  Border guards fired when the trespassers tried to flee.  One trespasser was killed in the return fire and others fled.  One Tajik border guard was wounded in the skirmish; he is currently hospital.  More than 10 kilograms of raw opium and one pistol Makarov were found at the scene of clash.

The trespassers are members of the drug-trafficking ring led by Afghan national Qori valadi Hoshim and this group has violated the border several times, Rahmatulloyev said.