MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Tajikistan’s army controls the situation at the border with Afghanistan and there is no need for deploying additional forces there, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Stanislav Zas said in an online briefing on Monday.
"As of today, Tajik border guards and armed forces control the situation at the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan quite tightly. So, now there is no need in deploying additional forces to protect this border," he said. "Yes, Tajik border guards need assistance in terms of technical equipment. And such measures will be taken, including in the bilateral format."
However, in his words, the CSTO will look at sending additional forces to the region, if need be. "We have all the possibilities to ensure the security of any CSTO member nation," he stressed.
After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that under the constitution, he becomes "the caretaker president" in the absence of the president and called for armed resistance against the Taliban. Western nations are in the process of evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.