Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov said on Friday there is an increasing risk that terrorist groups from Afghanistan will infiltrate the territories of CSTO allies.
He said that apart from various terrorist groups, the militants behind illicit drug production and trafficking were also strengthening their presence in Afghanistan, Imangali said while addressing a meeting of CSTO’s secretariat, TASS News Agency reported.
“There is an increasing risk that terrorist groups and extremist ideas will infiltrate the territories of our CSTO allies. Complex threats coming from Afghanistan are of particular concern,” he said.
The Secretary General’s remarks on CSTO came three days after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in New Delhi. At the same time, the Russian Security Chief, Nikolay Partushev, warned the member states about the security threats and risks emanating from Afghanistan to the member states.
“Important to watch the situation in Afghanistan closely as it remains tense and it is taking on protracted nature a year and a half after the Taliban came to power,” said Russian Security Chief.
He pointed out that the threats from Afghanistan include “terrorism, illegal arms, drug trafficking, illegal migration and the spread of extremist ideology.”
He also blamed the US and its allies for the current critical situation in the country after their withdrawal and asked to restore the Afghan economy in the wake of the conflict, Patrushev added.
In addition, the SCO member countries expressed their concerns over the growing threats of the Islamic States or Daesh militants in the country.
However, the Afghan authorities reiterated that the security forces of the current regime had destroyed several ISIS hideouts in the country and would not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s soil against neighbouring countries.
