While the Taliban claim to have full control over security in Afghanistan, top Russian security officials are warning of the growing presence of the Islamic State group’s Khorasan branch in the country’s north.
Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, said the group is not only attempting to infiltrate the borders of Central Asian states, but has also established new training networks with support from some foreign intelligence services.
These concerns come amid a surge in IS propaganda in Central Asian languages and increased recruitment from local communities — developments that could seriously destabilize security across northern Afghanistan and its neighbors.
