SCO to Enhance Cooperation With Afghan Security Forces to Counter ISIL

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will work more closely with the Afghan security forces to curb Islamic State's expansion in the region, the deputy director of the RATS executive committee said Monday.

TASHKENT (Sputnik) — According to SCO RATS data, ISIL has been consistently increasing its number of militant units in Afghanistan, particularly in the east and north of the country, Burov added.

"The Afghan security forces will be provided with practical assistance to counter the recruiting activities of militants, including for participation in the Middle East conflict, as well as to trace channels for acquiring additional sources of funding," Vitaly Burov told RIA Novosti.

In May, the SCO RATS and the Afghan Foreign Ministry signed a protocol on cooperation in the area of security. The document prepared a legal basis for cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

The SCO is a political, economic and military alliance that includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan holds observer status in the organization.

ISIL militants have seized large territories in Syria and Iraq, with the militant group spreading its influence in the Middle East and African countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Nigeria and Egypt.