Afghanistan is increasingly becoming a regional center for transnational terrorism under Taliban control, with the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (IS-K) intensifying recruitment efforts throughout Central Asia and focusing on migrant communities in Russia, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov has highlighted.
Addressing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services, Bortnikov emphasized that IS-K is aggressively enlisting militants from various Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as from migrant workers residing in Russia. This recruitment drive aims to strengthen the group’s operational capabilities across the region.
He warned that covert terrorist networks are establishing extensive resource channels and orchestrating coordinated attacks. Recent joint intelligence efforts have successfully dismantled several significant plots. Earlier this year, in collaboration with Tajikistan’s security forces, the FSB disrupted a cell preparing major attacks. Additionally, cooperation with Uzbekistan’s State Security Service prevented five planned terrorist operations targeting multiple Russian regions, including Moscow.
In response to the growing threat, Bortnikov stressed the urgent need to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation with Afghanistan to address cross-border security vulnerabilities effectively.
Security analysts have long cautioned that Afghanistan’s expanding militant landscape signals a deeper systemic issue. The recruitment of migrants within Russia illustrates how Afghanistan has shifted from a localized conflict zone to a strategic hub for extremist mobilization and manpower recruitment.
Experts note that Afghanistan serves as a sanctuary for over 20 terrorist groups, including IS-K, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), with an estimated 20,000 to 23,000 militants operating within its borders. IS-K’s strength is estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 fighters, while the TTP maintains a force of 5,000 to 7,000 militants.
Analysts warn that the threat posed by these groups extends well beyond Afghanistan’s borders. The country risks solidifying its role as a primary global base for IS-K’s expansion, ideological radicalization, and transnational jihadist activities, posing an immediate security challenge to Eurasia and the broader international community.
