Russia says Central Asia at risk of spillover from Islamic State in Afghanistan

Militants in Afghanistan who have switched sides to Islamic State pose a growing risk to Central Asia, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency on Wednesday.

Kremlin officials view the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia as a last line of defense stopping Islamist militants reaching Russia itself, and say they worry the region's fragile security forces may not hold up without help.

"The escalation of tension in Afghanistan is a source of serious concern," the news agency quoted Bortnikov as saying. "Numerous militant groups that are part of the Taliban are concentrated on the northern borders of that country." - Read More at Reuters

Russia says Central Asia at risk of spillover from Islamic State in Afghanistan

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