Tashkent, 6 September 2024 (TDI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) convened its 10th regional anti-terrorism conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on September 4-5, where counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) took center stage.
Addressing the plenary session, Lieutenant General Abdusalam Azizov, head of Uzbekistan’s State Security Service, underscored the need for SCO member states to unite against the threats posed by international terrorism, extremism, and radicalism.
“The Afghan government is battling international terrorism with the resources at its disposal, and its special service is leading the fight against the Islamic State, achieving commendable results,” Azizov stated.
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He added that we must join forces to combat this shared enemy.
Highlighting the threat posed by ISKP, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks in SCO member countries, including the deadly assault on the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow earlier this year, Azizov stressed, “It is crucial to support Afghanistan in its fight against ISKP.
Weakening countermeasures will only bolster this group, posing a significant threat to regional security.”
Islamic State Khorasan Province
ISKP, formed in 2014 from defectors of groups like al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), and former Taliban fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan, is believed to have between 4,000 and 6,000 members.
Following the death of its leader, Sanaullah Ghafari, in 2023, the group’s leadership remains uncertain.
The conference in Tashkent highlighted the urgency for greater regional cooperation to tackle the evolving terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan.
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