The number of the Afghan branch of "Islamic State" (IS, banned in the Russian Federation) has increased to 6.5 thousand fighters, and up to 4 thousand are concentrated near the border with Tajikistan. Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, head of the CSTO Joint Staff, said this at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Now the number of the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, this is Wilayat Khorasan (banned in Russia), has significantly increased and is about 6500 fighters, of which up to 4000 are concentrated in the southern borders of Tajikistan, in the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz and Takhar," he said.
The main threat to stability in Central Asia comes from the numerous extremist groups entrenched in Afghanistan, Sidorov said. The biggest threat comes from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda (banned in Russia), he added.
"In addition, the Taliban leadership's policy of oppressing national and religious minorities, the lack of unity and growing contradictions within the Taliban, degradation of the economic situation and aggravation of humanitarian problems contribute to destabilization of the situation in the region," he said. Sidorov also emphasized that uncontrolled drug trafficking and illegal weapons proliferation, in combination with the listed factors, increase the likelihood of Afghanistan's return to civil war.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Public Domain
Based on materials from TASS