“According to our intelligence, the number of (IS) members alone in northern Afghanistan is about 2,000 people,” Putin said during a video conference meeting with leaders of other ex-Soviet states. He said they had plans to move between ex-Soviet Central Asian countries disguised as refugees.
Earlier this week, Putin warned of the threat of veteran fighters from Iraq and Syria with IS links crossing into Afghanistan, while Russia’s foreign ministry said it expected the Taliban, which recently gained control of the country, to deal with the threat.
On Friday, Putin said IS leaders in Afghanistan were seeking to project the group’s influence across former Soviet states in Central Asia — which Moscow sees as its backyard — to stir up religious and ethnic discord.
See also:
–Suicide Attack On Shiite Mosque In Afghanistan Kills 47
–Iran Warns Against ‘Divisive Schemes’ In Afghanistan As ISIS Wages War Across Ethnic Lines