New Delhi: India is intensifying its counter-terrorism cooperation with Eurasian nations as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), an offshoot of ISIS, expands its influence in Afghanistan and neighboring regions.
Security experts in India are particularly concerned about ISKP's potential to spread its network and propaganda in northeastern Iran, western and northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, and parts of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which could undermine India's strategic outreach in Central Asia.
Following a recent attack in Moscow and the disruption of terror cells in Central Asian states, the security establishments of India, Russia, and Central Asia have heightened their focus on ISKP.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is slated to visit St. Petersburg in September for the BRICS NSA meeting, where he is expected to discuss bolstering counter-terrorism efforts with his counterparts, including Russia's newly appointed NSA, Sergei Shoigu.
Security experts believe that ISKP is composed of former ISIS fighters from Eurasia, as well as operatives from Pakistan. Their primary objective is to destabilize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and establish their own foothold.
Russian government sources have confirmed that ISKP has been actively seeking to expand its presence in the post-Soviet space since 2022.
