Tajik security chief says terrorists recruit labour migrants in CIS states

International terrorist organisations in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are primarily recruiting labour migrants, viewing them as the most vulnerable social group, Chairman of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Saymumin Yatimov, said.

Speaking at the Third CIS Conference on Combating Terrorism and Extremism in Dushanbe, he noted that terrorist and extremist organisations have intensified efforts to destabilise the region, Caliber.Az reports, citing Tajik media.

“Over the past few years, international terrorist groups have been forming sleeper cells within regional states. Recruitment is carried out mainly among labour migrants, the most vulnerable segment of the population, exploiting regional mindsets to spread radical ideology and politicise Islam,” Yatimov said.

The conference, organised by Tajikistan’s SCNS and the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre, brought together representatives from 11 CIS member states, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries, CIS working bodies, and five international organisations, including the UN, SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Secretariat, and others.

Participants are assessing the current situation and forecasting developments amid the transformation of the international security system, while discussing the impact of political, economic, religious, and other factors on the rise of terrorist and extremist activity, as well as the use of IT and artificial intelligence for monitoring and analysing security threats.

By Jeyhun Aghazada