The Vilayat Khorasan branch of the Islamic State is actively recruiting people from the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) into terrorist structures, reinforcing the reality that Afghanistan under Taliban rule is no longer merely a conflict zone but an emerging launchpad for terrorist recruitment, radicalisation and transnational operations.
“Vilayat Khorasan is actively recruiting militants from other terrorist organisations now, supporters from citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, as well as migrant workers in Russia,” Director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov said at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services.
He said that conspiracy terrorist networks were being established in CIS countries, resource channels were being established and terrorist attacks were being planned, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.