Russian media reports say Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 13 that battle-hardened militants from Iraq and Syria are “actively” entering Afghanistan,
“The situation in Afghanistan is not easy,” Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of the CIS member nations, according to RIA Novosti.
“Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there,” he said.
“It is possible that terrorists may try to destabilize the situation in neighboring states,” he added, warning that they could even try “direct expansion”.
Putin was referring to Islamic State (ISIS) terror group who have not been taken seriously by the Taliban.
For his part, Saymumin Yatimzoda, the chief of the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan (SCNS), reportedly told the video conference that the SCNS had registered an intensification of attempts to smuggle drugs, weapons, ammunition from Afghanistan into Tajikistan.
AFP says that earlier Wednesday French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon in Paris, vowing to help Tajikistan maintain stability.
Putin has repeatedly warned about members of extremist groups exploiting political turmoil in Afghanistan to cross into neighboring Central Asian countries as refugees.
Recall, addressing an online summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Vladimir Putin said on August 23 that it is vital to avoid any spillover of “radical Islam” into the region from Afghanistan.
Russian leader said it was important to keep “Islamist extremists” at bay following the Taliban’s takeover of power.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s news agency Khaama Press said on October 14 that the ISIS is believed not to be a big threat to the de-facto government in Afghanistan because the group – the Islamic State Khorasn (ISIS-K) – does not have international or regional support.
