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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Four gunmen who crossed from Afghanistan into neighboring Tajikistan were killed in a skirmish with border guards overnight, Tajikistan´s National Security Committee said.

The shooting was the second incident since November along the border between the two countries, the committee said in a statement Monday.

The Tajik border guards spotted the gunmen near a village close to the border with Afghanistan´s Badakhshan province. The four men refused an order to surrender and offered armed resistance. They were killed in the ensuing skirmish, the committee said

The committee alleged that the four were "members of a terrorist organization," but did not offer additional details.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the incident occurred when a group of drug traffickers attempted to smuggle narcotics into Tajikistan and encountered Tajik border guards. He said the incident was under investigation and Afghanistan would not allow the border area to be destabilized, Afghanistan´s Tolo News channel reported.

The incident comes weeks after a reported cross-border attack from Afghanistan into Tajikistan that killed three Chinese workers and wounded a fourth. Tajikistan said the attack in late November was carried out from inside Afghanistan with a drone equipped with grenades and firearms.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the Afghan Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman, said in November that the attack appeared to have been caused by "elements that are trying to create chaos, instability, and distrust between countries in the region." He promised the Afghan government´s "full cooperation with the government of Tajikistan."

Tajikistan and Afghanistan have a history of testy relations, particularly after the Taliban´s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and Tajikistan cut ties with its southern neighbor. There have since been signs of a gradual thaw in relations including markets reopening in the border area in 2023 and a Tajik delegation visiting Kabul in November.