Olarbek Sharshiyev, executive director of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), has warned that international terrorist groups have increased their activities in Afghanistan and Syria.
He added that they are seeking to establish “sleeper cells” in Central Asia.
He made the remarks at the 11th International Conference of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, held on 20–21 November in Tashkent.
Representatives from the United Nations, the OSCE, INTERPOL, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation took part in the conference. Participants discussed preventing citizens from joining radical networks and addressed rising cyber-security threats.
Sharshiyev said leaders of global terrorist organisations had not abandoned plans to deploy militants to Central Asian states using forged documents via third countries. He warned that these networks aim to carry out attacks, establish sleeper cells, collect funds and conduct recruitment campaigns to expand their ranks.
Yevgeny Sysoyev, head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre, told the conference that international terrorist groups based in the Middle East are increasing the movement of fighters into Afghanistan to extend their regional influence.
He said “aggressive recruitment efforts” were under way among Central Asian migrants and noted a rise in online propaganda in Tajik, Kyrgyz, Uzbek and, for the first time, Kazakh.
According to the Uzbek outlet Gazeta.uz, conference participants said the establishment of a Global Centre in Tashkent to address growing security challenges facing SCO member states would be a practical response to emerging threats.
