BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security head Kamchybek Tashiyev has raised alarms about the rising number of terrorist groups in northern Afghanistan, highlighting the potential threat to the southern borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
During a CIS security meeting in Bishkek, Tashiyev pointed out that international terrorist organizations and their sponsors are exploiting global social and political tensions to advance their strategic objectives. He emphasized that the growing concentrations of terrorists in Afghanistan’s northern provinces pose a significant risk to the integrity of the southern borders of CIS member countries, as reported by the Russian TASS news agency.
In a similar vein, Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service, underscored the threat posed by the consolidation and expansion of terrorist networks and branches of international terrorist organizations (ITOs) in the Afghan-Pakistani region. Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Heads of National Security Enforcement Agencies and Special Services of the CIS, Bortnikov noted the Taliban’s efforts to combat notorious terrorist organizations.
Bortnikov acknowledged both concerns and positive developments in Afghanistan. He noted that Afghan authorities are actively working to stabilize the situation, countering terrorist organizations, and reinforcing external borders to reduce militant infiltration from regional conflict zones. He highlighted the ongoing dialogue between Afghan authorities and CIS special services as a constructive effort.
Bortnikov expressed confidence in the Taliban’s potential to restore order in Afghanistan, provided that external players do not interfere with Kabul. He viewed the cooperative efforts to counter international terrorism with Afghanistan’s new authorities as a promising development.
