Tajik or Russian jets bomb Takhar’s Darqad district

Local officials in northern Takhar province said on Monday that either Russian or Tajikistani jets carried out airstrikes in Darqad district of the province, but Russia denied involvement in the air raid.
The provincial governor’s spokesman Mohammad Jawid Hejri confirmed the incident, saying a clash erupted on Sunday afternoon between drug smugglers in Afghanistan and Tajik border guards.
He said Tajik border security fired a number of rockets into the area before “fighter jets” carried out the airstrikes early Monday morning.
Hejri said the jets were “foreign” and were either from Russia or Tajikistan. Hejri did not elaborate on the casualties, but Khalil Asir, a spokesman for Takhar provincial police, told Rueters News Agency that eight Taliban were killed, and six wounded in the incident. He also said that it was not clear if they were Russian or Tajik aircrafts that conducted the bombing.
According to Hejri, the area targeted is out of government’s control and is under Taliban control.
Hejri stated two Tajik border guards were killed in the clash.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the clash but said it broke out between drug smugglers and Tajik border guards and the aircraft bombed a forested area used by smugglers.
“We are investigating this as Taliban fighters have no permission to clash with neighbor countries,” he said.
Russia denied involvement in the airstrike. Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Monday that Russian military aircraft did not carry out any combat missions near border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Security in the north-eastern province, that borders Tajikistan, has deteriorated in the past few months and regular clashes have broken out between Afghan security forces and anti-government armed groups, including the Taliban.
Dozens of check posts have also been attacked in recent weeks by the Taliban in the province.
Earlier this month reports emerged of at least 12 border police officers killed in a Taliban attack on a border town in the Dasht-e-Qala district of Takhar.