Isis may be preparing to invade Central Asia says Russian Intelligence chief
There are fears that fighters at country's northern border could look to mount an invasion
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Russian intelligence has warned of an increased risk of Taliban or Isis fighters invading Central Asia.
FSB director Alexander Bortnikov said in comments carried by Russian news agencies on Wednesday that a concentration of Taliban fighters, some of whom had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, at Afghanistan's northern border make the risk of invasion tangible.
Afghanistan shares a porous border with the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which have long been a source of drugs infiltrating into Russia and is a longstanding worry of Moscow's.
Putin earlier this month called the situation in Afghanistan "close to critical" and called on other ex-Soviet nations to be prepared to act together to repel a possible attack.
AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments