Concerns about the growing presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan are intensifying among regional political elites and neighboring countries. In the latest report, the Indian news outlet The Economic Times revealed that Syrian fighters of Central Asian origin have been transferred to Afghanistan following the victory of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. According to the report, this development has raised alarms among the Central Asian republics and Indian security agencies. The fighters are reportedly stationed in Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Herat provinces.
Experts emphasize that concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan have long existed among Central Asian countries. They warn that the relocation of foreign fighters, many of whom were previously engaged in the wars in Syria and Iraq, could pose a serious threat to regional stability. In response, Central Asian states have imposed strict security measures along their borders to prevent the spread of insecurity.
The Economic Times, in a recent article titled “Islamists from Syria in Afghanistan raises alarm bells in region and India,” warns of the presence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters in Afghanistan. The report states that Syrian fighters of Central Asian origin, who played a role in Syria’s regime change, are now based in Afghanistan. Their presence, it argues, is causing concern not only for the Taliban but also for Central Asian nations and Indian security institutions.
According to the outlet, the Islamists have been stationed in Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Herat provinces and pose a threat to local security. There are growing fears that this threat could spill over into Central Asian republics such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, potentially affecting India’s strategic interests in the region. The report notes that Kyrgyzstan, despite having no shared border with Afghanistan, is also alarmed by the growing influence of radical groups. Since the start of 2025, the country has reportedly thwarted two coup attempts allegedly linked to foreign elements.
The Economic Times further writes that Tajikistan is directly threatened by ISIS, which recently released a video explicitly targeting the government in Dushanbe. In response, Russia has held a joint anti-terrorism exercise with its ally Tajikistan and controversially removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. The report explains that ISIS seeks to establish a presence in the Afghanistan–Pakistan region to target secular regimes in Central Asia and confront the Taliban.
Unconfirmed reports cited in the article claim that ISIS is training in Pakistan’s Balochistan province with the support of the Pakistani military. The report also mentions that Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamist group active within the political structure of Bangladesh, has reportedly expanded its influence into Kyrgyzstan. According to The Economic Times, India is closely monitoring the security situation in Central Asia, particularly along Afghanistan’s borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and is concerned about the possible resurgence of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
The report states that Uzbekistan, like Tajikistan, is alarmed by the growing influence of radicals with ties to Syrian extremists, who are now operating outside Afghanistan, intending to topple secular regimes in Central Asia. The recent victories of fundamentalists in Syria have reportedly inspired Islamist groups in the region, particularly in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, amid increased participation of Eurasian radicals in the Syrian conflict.
Meanwhile, Qasim Shah Sekandar, head of the Center for Afghanistan & Central Asia Strategic Studies (ACASS), told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that Central Asian countries have long harbored concerns about the presence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. The Taliban, he added, continue to insist that no threat emanates from Afghan soil toward neighboring countries, including Central Asia. However, the presence of foreign terrorist groups and reports of returning fighters from the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts have significantly deepened regional concerns. Sekandar noted that the Taliban’s assurances have not been convincing for regional countries.
He added that Central Asian nations have established contact and formed some level of cooperation with the Taliban. Nonetheless, anxieties regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan persist. He stated that countries in the region are preparing to maintain border security and stability. In particular, Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan has been fortified under programs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and through cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in an effort to safeguard regional peace and development.
Fayazuddin Ghiasi, a former Afghan diplomat, stated that members of ISIS have recently been observed in the provinces of Faryab, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan. According to him, ISIS leaders held a meeting in Baghlan in February 2025, during which they allegedly planned military operations in Central Asian countries. Ghiasi claimed that these terrorist groups are supported by the Taliban, who reportedly pay each foreign fighter a monthly allowance of 10,000 Afghanis to cover their living expenses.
He also warned that, following recent developments in Syria, Central Asian states fear a potential return of ISIS fighters to Afghanistan. In his view, the support of these groups by intelligence agencies from both regional and extra-regional countries could spark a new wave of insecurity across the Afghan border, particularly affecting Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
This report comes in the wake of the 35th report by the UN Security Council’s Monitoring Team on Sanctions Support and Oversight, which previously stated that the Taliban have allowed al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups to expand their presence across Afghanistan. According to that report, al-Qaeda maintains military and training bases in 14 provinces, with its lower-ranking members living with their families in Kabul and senior leaders stationed in rural areas. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with Taliban support, has reportedly established new training centers in four provinces. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is said to be armed with anti-tank missiles and based in Taliban-protected camps, while Jamaat Ansarullah is reportedly training Central Asian and Arab fighters in Khost and Takhar provinces.
Some UN member states have reported that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, under the influence of the Pakistani Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and Jamaat Ansarullah of Tajikistan, maintains shared headquarters and training camps in the provinces of Balkh, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Kabul, and Baghlan. The ETIM has reportedly retained most of its forces in Syria, while its command center is based in Afghanistan.
The report states that members of Jamaat Ansarullah, commonly referred to as “Tajik Taliban,” are working with al-Qaeda weapon engineers and trainers in training camps in Khost province, as well as at a special military facility in Kalafgan district of Takhar province, where they train Central Asian and Arab fighters. In addition, the group has established a unit named Ansar, which is stationed in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province. The mission of this unit is reported to be “infiltrating border areas” of Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, a research organization called Small Arms Survey has released a comprehensive report on the trafficking of American and former Soviet weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the report, arms smuggling remains widespread in Afghanistan, with the Taliban playing a major and central role. The findings indicate that the Taliban are actively engaged in the illicit arms trade and even collect taxes from some arms markets. Moreover, they have expanded the reach of these markets based on ethnic and local ties.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
از سوریه تا افغانستان؛ تروریستها در پناه طالبان صف بستهاند | روزنامه ۸صبح
