Uzbek authorities dismantle Islamic State-Khorasan Province cell in Namangan

Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (SSS) has dismantled a clandestine cell affiliated with the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), a branch of the internationally recognised terrorist organisation Islamic State.

The operation took place in the eastern city of Namangan, according to a statement issued by the SSS press service and reported by Russian media on July 19, per Caliber.Az.

The cell was exposed during a joint operation conducted by the SSS and the country’s internal affairs authorities. “During operational activities carried out by the State Security Service in conjunction with the internal affairs authorities, a secret cell of the international terrorist organisation Islamic State-Khorasan Province was uncovered in the city of Namangan,” the statement noted.

Law enforcement officers carried out searches at the residences of 16 alleged members of the group. As a result, authorities seized 37 mobile communication devices, 51 copies of religious literature that lacked publisher information, 40 DVDs, four flash drives, as well as a laptop and a tablet. These items were confiscated as material evidence in the case.

The SSS revealed that the cell’s leader had established virtual groups and communication channels via the Telegram messaging platform. These channels, which had amassed over 120 members, were used to disseminate extremist content.

“A criminal case has been initiated against the organiser and three active members of the group under the relevant articles of the criminal code. A preventive measure in the form of an arrest has been applied to them,” the agency stated. Investigative procedures remain ongoing in relation to the other members of the cell.

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province, also known as ISKP or ISIS-K, emerged in 2015 as a regional offshoot of ISIS, with operations primarily concentrated in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.

The group takes its name from the historical Khorasan region, which once encompassed large parts of Central Asia, including areas of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. ISKP has been responsible for some of the most brutal attacks in the region in recent years and has sought to expand its influence across Central Asia through both online radicalisation and recruitment, particularly targeting vulnerable youth populations.

By Tamilla Hasanova