DUSHANBE. Tajikistan. Dec 11: Russian border guards shot and killed nine rebels who tried to break into Tajikistan from Afghanistan, news agencies ref ported Saturday, says AP.

The nine were among 15 men who tried to cross into the Pyandzh area overnight, the ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agencies reported .

The rest fled back into Afghanistan after an armed clash, and no Russians were wounded. the reports said.

Russian troops are tn Tajikistan to fortify the borders oT the former Soviet republic, fellow member of the Commonwealth on Independent States. More than 20.000 people have been killed during Tajikistan's civil war since 1992.

Tajik rebels fighting the procommunist government in Dushanbe are aided by Islamic Mujahideen in Afghanistan.