A Tajik or Russian plane carried out an air strike on August 26 in Afghanistan's northeastern Takhar Province after clashes erupted near Tajikistan’s border, Afghan officials said on August 27, according to Radio Liberty.
Khalil Asir, spokesman for Takhar provincial police, told Radio Liberty that the bombing in the Darqad district near the border area started after two Tajik border guards were killed in a clash with the Taliban.
Eight Taliban militants were killed and six others were wounded, Asir said.
Mohammad Jawid Hejri, the provincial governor’s spokesman, reportedly confirmed the incident, which broke out on August 26, but said the clash broke out between drug smugglers and Tajik border guards.
Hejri said the identity of the drugs smugglers is not known and added that the warplane was either from Russia or Tajikistan.
He said the area targeted is outside of government’s control and is under Taliban control.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the clash and also said it broke out between drug smugglers and Tajik border guards. Mujahid said the aircraft bombed a forested area used by smugglers.
"We are looking into the incident, as Taliban fighters have no permission to clash with neighboring countries," he said.
Following reports of a strike by fighter jets on Afghanistan, both Tajik and Russian military officials issued staunch denials.
Recall, an official source at Tajik defense ministry told Asia-Plus today that a report released by an Afghan news agency that Tajikistan has allegedly launched air strikes on Afghan territory does not correspond to the facts.
Russia’s Defense Ministry was similarly categoric.
Russia was not behind an air strike in northern Afghanistan and its military aircraft have not been conducting any operations near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan, the RIA news agency cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying on August 27.
Security in Afghanistan’s Takhar province has deteriorated over the past few months and regular clashes have broken out between Afghan security forces and militant groups, including the Taliban. At least 12 border police officers were killed earlier this month in a Taliban attack on the border town in Takhar's Dasht-e Qala district.
