Tajik border authorities say they have thwarted a group of armed trespassers attempting to illegally cross the Tajik-Afghan border in the area patrolled by the “Sipar” frontier post of the “Panj” border unit deployed in the southern Khatlon province.

“Tajik border guards on a routine patrol spotted a group of armed trespassers who were illegally crossing the border river Saturday (October 22) night,” said Mohammad Ulughkhojayev, a spokesman for the Main Border Guard Directorate at the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).  “As a result of the skirmish, the trespassers were forced to return to Afghan territory.”

According to him, 15 kilograms of cannabis and one Kalashnikov assault rifle were found on the spot.

This year has reportedly seen 22 skirmishes between Tajik border guards and armed trespassers along the Tajik-Afghan border.  Twelve trespassers have been killed, six others have been wounded and 15 trespassers have been detained.

Last year Tajik border forces reportedly skirmished with Afghan armed smugglers at least 30 times, killing 16.