An Islamic State offshoot has amassed around 5,000 militants in northern Afghanistan on the border of post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, the director of Russia’s FSB has warned, adding that many of them have fought in Syria.

“Especially worrying is re-deployment of terrorist groups into northern provinces of Afghanistan,” Alexander Bortnikov told chiefs of ex-Soviet intelligence services in Dushanbe, adding that IS-Khorasan has managed to gather 5,000 fighters in the area.

He added that terrorist cells are now infiltrating into former Soviet countries where they are forming ties with organized crime. To keep a low profile, they try to pose as refugees and migrants.

The senior Russian official further added that the terrorist groups are relocating their forces to other parts of the world, including Northern Africa and Southeast Asia.

Arezo news website – Humayun Salimi