Deadly drone attack targets Chinese engineers; 3 killed at border-side mining site

Kabul (The Uttam Hindu): A deadly drone attack on Chinese engineers in Tajikistan, bordering Afghanistan, killed three Chinese citizens. According to Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry, the attack was carried out using a UAV loaded with grenades and explosives. The target was a worker camp belonging to LLC Shohin SM, located in Khatlon province, near the Afghan border and operating gold mines.

Drone attack on Chinese engineers, 3 killed; they were working in a mine near the Afghan border: Tajikistan says the attack was carried out from across the border in Afghan territory. The ministry described it as the act of terrorist elements and appealed to the Afghan authorities to secure the border area. The Chinese workers who died were involved in mining and construction projects in Tajikistan, where many Chinese companies are working in mountainous and sensitive areas.

Tensions have risen in this border region in recent days. A week ago, Tajikistan claimed to have killed two suspected Afghan drug smugglers with a drone. In August, there was also a firefight between Tajik guards and Taliban fighters.

The attack occurred just before a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, raising concerns about regional security. LLC Shohin SM is a Chinese-Tajik joint venture company to which China's Tibet Huayu Mining Co. Ltd provides technology and investment. The incident has raised new questions about China's economic interests in Central Asia and the security of Belt and Road Initiative projects. It also adds another layer of tension to the complex relations between China, Tajikistan, and the Taliban administration.