In his opinion, in light of the escalating situation in Afghanistan, the decision of the President of Kyrgyzstan to strengthen defense security is a vital measure.
Felix Kulov shared his views on the situation in Afghanistan and the threats to Central Asia on his social media page.
According to him, the Minister of Defense of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a recent statement, effectively acknowledged that the armed confrontation with the Taliban is an “open war,” reminding that Pakistan “has hosted five million Afghans for 50 years” and that “even today, millions of Afghans earn a living on Pakistani soil.”
“His words about an ‘open war’ and ‘exporting terrorism’ are not emotional rhetoric, but a reflection of deep processes that are already influencing the entire region,” Kulov noted.
According to his data, there are between 20,000 to 23,000 militants in Afghanistan, more than half of whom are foreign mercenaries. This, in his opinion, means that the country has become a hub for transnational extremism.
Kulov also stated that dozens of radical groups continue to operate in Afghanistan: “Islamic State - Khorasan Province” (IS-K) with about 2,000 militants, “Al-Qaeda,” “Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan” (5,000 to 7,000 militants), as well as “Jamaat Ansarullah” and others.
According to UN experts, there are more than 20 extremist organizations in the country, and training camps are located, among other places, in the northern provinces near the borders of Central Asia.
He emphasized that a significant portion of IS-K militants are foreigners, including individuals from Central Asian countries, who may be sent back to their states to create “sleeper cells.”
“The threat is no longer theoretical but practical. The situation on the Tajik-Afghan border has sharply escalated: if 6 armed incidents were recorded in 2024, then in 2025 there were already 17. The volume of seized drugs reached 2.8 tons,” the politician stated.
According to him, in January of this year, two serious armed clashes occurred on the border with Tajikistan — on January 18 and 29, during which the attackers were eliminated, and modern weapons, including American-made ones, were seized from them.
Speaking about the attack on January 19, 2026, on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, for which IS-K claimed responsibility, Kulov noted that “this demonstrates that Afghan territory is being used as a launch pad for strikes not only against neighbors but also against global players.”
He added that concerns about the situation in Afghanistan were discussed at the CSTO and SCO platforms.
In Kulov's opinion, under these conditions, the decisions of the President of Kyrgyzstan to strengthen defense capabilities, modernize the army, and reform law enforcement agencies are not just timely but vital measures.
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