DUSHANBE (Sputnik) – The number of terrorists from the Islamic State in Afghanistan is estimated to be approximately 3,500 and the organization is recruiting members from local groups and the youth, Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Lyakin-Frolov said.
“They’ve met their tasks, according to some information, there are approximately 3,500 militants currently in the ranks of the Islamic State in Afghanistan,” Lyakin-Frolov told RIA Novosti in an interview.
He said that the Islamic State has already settled in 25 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
Afghanistan continues to be in a state of political and social turmoil as several militant groups take advantage of instability in the country, which has persisted since the 2001 US-led invasion.
Since the US withdrawal of forces in December 2014, Afghanistan has seen a revived militant insurgency.
In addition to ISIL, other radical organizations such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban are also operating in Afghanistan.
