The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has warned that the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan poses a serious threat to regional security, particularly in Central Asia.
Russian state media cited CSTO Joint Staff Chief Andrey Serdyukov as saying that multiple international extremist and militant groups based in Afghanistan were having a direct negative impact on security in the region.
“The presence of numerous international extremist and terrorist groups on Afghanistan’s territory has a direct and negative impact on regional security, especially in Central Asia,” Serdyukov was quoted as saying. He added that their presence facilitated the spread of extremism and drug trafficking into neighbouring countries.
Separately, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu expressed concern about the security situation along Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan, warning of continued tensions and armed clashes.
“Attempts to cross the Afghan border illegally, particularly along the Tajikistan border, have increased,” Shoigu said, according to Russian media. “In some cases, these movements have led to armed clashes with Tajik border forces.”
The comments come amid broader regional concerns over militant activity in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
A recent report by the United Nations sanctions monitoring team said the presence of leaders and fighters linked to al Qaeda, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups in Afghanistan remained a concern.
Pakistan’s president and senior security officials have also previously alleged that Afghanistan under Taliban rule has become a hub for militant activity, a charge the Taliban deny.
In recent remarks, Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani appeared to acknowledge, in indirect terms, support for anti-security groups operating from Afghanistan’s soil, though Taliban officials have consistently denied harbouring militant organizations.
Taliban spokesmen have said that while a small number of Islamic State fighters may be present, they do not allow any group to use Afghanistan’s territory to threaten other countries.
