Islamic State Ally Emerges As Threat to Afghanistan, Central Asia

An extremist group allied with Islamic State has emerged as a potent force on the battlefield in northern Afghanistan, threatening to further destabilize the country and sow instability throughout Central Asia, senior Afghan officials say.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S., has been on the front lines of a major anti-government offensive this summer in the north.

A video distributed on Aug. 6 shows the IMU leader and his fighters taking an oath of allegiance to Islamic State and its self-proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the black-and-white Islamic State flag behind them.

These developments worry both Kabul and its neighbors, as the violence has swept across the provinces that border Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

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Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the long-term goal of the IMU remained the imposition of Islamic rule in their original home turf.

“Without a doubt, Russia will use the very real threat of these groups to advance other aims—to keep Russian influence in Central Asia,” he said. “But these groups are a threat.”

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