transnational terrorists using AI and crypto
ISLAMABAD: Russia has issued a fresh warning about the escalating terrorismthreat emanating from Afghanistan and the Middle East, describing thedanger as evolving and intensifying with the adoption of advancedtechnologies by extremist groups.
Speaking at the two-day BRICS Counterterrorism Conference in Moscow onWednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky said IslamicState and al-Qaeda affiliates were reorganising across borders andincreasingly relying on artificial intelligence, modern communicationtools, and cryptocurrencies to spread propaganda, raise funds, and sustaincriminal networks.
Lyubinsky stressed that the continuing instability in Afghanistan underTaliban rule and prolonged conflicts in the Middle East demanded closemonitoring and swift collective responses, warning that the risks nowextended far beyond the immediate region.
He noted that terrorist organisations had demonstrated growingsophistication in the digital domain, a trend corroborated by recentWestern intelligence assessments and independent technology research.
International analysts attending the conference echoed Moscow’s concerns,pointing out that Afghanistan had re-emerged as a sanctuary fortransnational militant actors despite repeated assurances from the Talibanauthorities.
Russia has consistently highlighted the deteriorating security situation inAfghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. In September, RussianSecurity Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu claimed more than 23,000 foreignfighters belonging to recognised terrorist organisations were active insidethe country, posing a direct threat to Central Asia and beyond.
Taliban officials have rejected such allegations, insisting they havedismantled Islamic State-Khorasan networks and prevented the use of Afghansoil for attacks abroad. However, United Nations reports continue todocument the presence and operational capacity of several extremistfactions.
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Conference participants emphasised the need for updated counterterrorismstrategies that combine conventional security measures with strongerframeworks for monitoring and regulating virtual spaces where recruitment,financing, and planning increasingly take place.
While BRICS members expressed broad agreement on the nature of the threat,the extent to which shared concerns will translate into coordinatedoperational mechanisms remains uncertain. Officials nevertheless indicatedthat growing great-power competition and persistent regional instabilitywere pushing the grouping toward deeper security cooperation.
The Moscow meeting underscored a rare convergence of views between Russiaand several Western assessments regarding the persistence of terrorist safehavens in Afghanistan, even as diplomatic engagement with the Talibanadministration remains limited.
Source: https://tass.com/politics/1886421Source:https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-warns-growing-terror-threat-afghanistan-2025-12-03/
Tags: Russia, Afghanistan, Taliban, Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, BRICS,Terrorism
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