A delegation of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Tajikistan, led by its head, Saymumin Yatimov, visited the Afghan capital, Kabul, on May 7-9 to hold talks with Afghan law enforcement and power-wielding structures authorities.
According to Tajik state-run news agency Khovar, the SCNS delegation was received by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Saymumin Yatimov reportedly also held talks with Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai, the head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of Afghanistan, Tariq Shah Bahrami, the Minister of National Defense of Afghanistan, Wais Ahmad Barmak, the Minister of Interior of Afghanistan, and Mohammad Hanif Atmar, National Security Adviser, Afghanistan.
The meetings were reportedly focused on state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in strengthening border control and combating terrorism and trafficking in drugs and weapons.
Recall, Tajik Border Troops commander, Lieutenant-General Rajabali Rahmonali, noted on May 2 that the Taliban Movement has deployed 6,825 militants along Afghanistan’s common border with Tajikistan. According to him, the militants have been transferred to the northern Afghanistan from the southern part of the country and they are now at the training bases in Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces. “Many of these militants are natives of Central Asia’s nations,” Rahmonali stressed.
Meanwhile, Afghan Badakhshan governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad told reporters in Dushanbe on May 4 that currently, there are 2,000 terrorists in territory of Afghan Badakhshan. “Not all of them are nationals of Afghanistan. There are also citizens of Central Asia’s nations, Chinese Uighurs, Arabs and Pakistanis among them. They arrived in Afghanistan to help Taliban fight against the government forces,” Badakhshan governor said. Asked about terrorist groups deployed in Afghan Badakhshan, Begzad said that they were mostly Taliban militants. “There is also a small group of Al-Qaeda militants. Daesh (an acronym for the Arabic phrase al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) has not yet strengthened its positions in this region,” Afghan official added.
The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) is the principal national security and intelligence agency of Tajikistan. Its main responsibilities include internal and border security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, fighting organized crime, and surveillance. The chairman of the committee and all of his deputies are appointed by and answerable to the president of Tajikistan. Lieutenant-General Saymumin Yatimov has served as the SCNS chairman since September 2, 2010.
