AKTAU /Kazakhstan/, September 2. /TASS/. The intelligence agencies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are working to boost border security and the fight against smuggling to prevent the spread of weapons from Afghanistan, Head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center Andrei Novikov told TASS.

When commenting on reports that the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) got their hands on large amounts of weapons and ammunition left behind by US troops, he pointed out that the weapons that terrorists seized always spread to neighboring areas.

"We remember well what happened in Egypt, Libya and Syria. Undoubtedly, all sleeper cells will rush to arm themselves. In order to prevent it, measures are being taken to boost border security and the fight against smuggling, and intelligence agencies have launched operations to prevent weapons from spreading to their countries," Novikov emphasized.

The Daily Mail reported earlier, based on its own estimates, that the Taliban had seized 48 operational combat aircraft after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Also, according to Alexei Novikov, there exist serious risks of terrorist activity spreading from Afghanistan to other countries, if some groups decide to disobey the Taliban movement, which has risen to power in Kabul.

"Apart from the Taliban, which remains on the list of international terrorist organizations, there are other terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan. And it is anyone’s guess if they will agree to obey the Taliban or international resolutions," he said. "There is a risk that while using Afghanistan as a base, international terrorist organizations will be pursuing their aims in the neighboring countries, including the CIS member-states. In this respect we find worrisome not just terrorist activity inside Afghanistan, but the risks it may spill over to the territories of the CIS, in particular, Central Asian countries."

Novikov stressed that the situation in Afghanistan was extremely important for the neighboring states - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Situation in Afghanistan

The radical Taliban movement on August 15 entered Kabul without encountering resistance and had the city under control within a matter of hours. President Ashraf Ghani said he was leaving the country in order to prevent bloodshed. Vice-President Abdullah Saleh said that under the Constitution he was taking over as the acting head of state and urged armed resistance against the Taliban. The Western countries have been evacuating their citizens and embassy personnel.