The terror threat in Afghanistan and its border area is worrying and can spread instability and terrorist activities throughout Central and South Asian countries, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Vladimir Norov said in a UN-SCO high-level meeting. “The current situation in Afghanistan border area is increasingly alarming and carries potential risks in terms of exporting instability and leak of terrorist activities to neighboring Central and South Asian countries,” Norov said on Tuesday.
Norov pointed out that the recent failed Islamic State (IS) attack on a Tajik outpost on the border with Uzbekistan confirms the relevance of this threat. According to Tajik officials, 20 militants, belonging to the IS, were involved in the attack, which took place in the early hours on November 6 at the Ishkobod checkpoint. Fifteen militants were killed in clashes with the Tajik security forces, while five others were arrested.
Afghanistan has been suffering a prolonged confrontation between government forces and the militants of the radical Taliban movement, which had previously captured significant territory in rural areas of the country and launched attacks on large cities. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces regularly conduct joint counterterrorism operations across the country. The conflict-stricken country continues to fight other insurgents as well, including militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terrorist organisation.
