China’s embassy in Tajikistan has advised all Chinese businesses and workers to immediately evacuate the sensitive Afghanistan–Tajikistan border regions following two deadly cross-border attacks in late November that left five Chinese citizens dead.

The first attack occurred on November 26, when three Chinese nationals were killed at a compound operated by Shohin SM, a private Chinese gold-mining firm in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of Khatlon Region. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the assault originated from across the border in Afghanistan and involved both firearms and a drone equipped with a missile. The attackers were described as “criminal groups” based in Afghanistan, though no organisation was officially named. Some accounts also noted the use of drones dropping explosive devices.

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan condemned the incident, stating that preliminary assessments suggested the involvement of actors aiming to fuel instability and mistrust among regional countries.