ISIS Minister of War in Takhar; New Threat to Central Asia from Afghanistan.
TAKHAR, Afghanistan – Gulmurad Halimaov, a senior and well-known commander of ISIS-K, has recently been transferred from Kunar Province to Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan, reliable local sources report, in a move that has sharply increased concerns about security threats in the border areas with Central Asia.
Gulmurad Halimaov, a Tajik national and a key figure in the ISIS terrorist network, is known as the group’s “Minister of War” in the region. He is the first Central Asian to achieve such a position in the ISIS leadership structure and is responsible for planning and executing operations in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Russia.
The transfer of this dangerous figure to Takhar, which shares a border with Tajikistan, has not only increased concerns about the possibility of cross-border attacks, but also raised serious questions about the Taliban’s ability to provide security in Afghanistan and even the group’s covert cooperation with terrorist networks.
While the Taliban claim to have provided security in the country, the arrival of a prominent ISIS commander in one of Afghanistan’s most sensitive border points has raised serious questions about the group’s claim to “fight terrorism.” Security observers believe that the Taliban are either unable to control ISIS activities or have themselves become part of the terrorist group’s informal support networks.
Gulmurad Halimaov has a long history of terrorist operations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and is known as one of ISIS’s most dangerous figures. His high military skills, extensive connections to international terrorist networks and his direct role in planning complex attacks have made his presence in Takhar a serious threat to regional security.
Security analysts warn that the recent ISIS movements may signal the beginning of a new phase of the group’s cross-border operations from Afghanistan—a country that has become a virtual safe haven for terrorist activities since the Taliban took over.
Given Takhar’s proximity to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian countries, the presence of key ISIS figures in the province could have serious security implications for the entire region. Neighboring countries should take these movements as a serious wake-up call and prepare to confront the common terrorist threat in cooperation with international institutions.
