MOSCOW: Russia said it had heard of reports that Tajikistan and Afghanistan were sending troops to their common border and urged them to resolve any dispute in a mutually acceptable manner, RIA quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying.

It was not immediately clear to which reports he was referring.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has refused to recognise the Taliban-appointed cabinet in Kabul.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern on Wednesday for US-trained Afghan pilots and other personnel being held in Tajikistan after fleeing across the border from Afghanistan last month as the Taliban took power.

Security blocs led by Russia, China meet on Afghanistan

In the war's final moments, the US-backed Afghan Air Force personnel flew dozens of military aircraft across the Afghan border to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and were detained there.

Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan.