The Chinese embassy in Dushanbe responded to the tragedy, calling it a "serious crime," and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. At the same time, diplomats urged Chinese citizens to avoid visiting border areas with Afghanistan.
For their part, Tajik authorities characterized the attack as a "terrorist act" and appealed to Afghan authorities to take control of the militants operating on their territory.
Representatives of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep regret" regarding the incident and confirmed their readiness to cooperate in the investigation.
In light of these events, Tajikistan has begun a dialogue with Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to discuss issues of assistance in border protection, including possible options for patrolling and strengthening the border service.
Photo on the main page is illustrative: Sgt. Ty McNeeley / Wikimedia / Creative Commons.
