IS trying to create stronghold in C. Asia: CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre

The Islamic State (IS) terror group is trying to create a stronghold in Central Asia and to activate Islamist sleeper cells in the region, Andrey Novikov, the head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Centre, said on Tuesday.

"(One of the problems of Central Asia is) attempts of the IS international terror group to create a new stronghold of the so-called 'caliphate,' form and activate the 'sleeping Jamaats,'" Novikov said in the Kyrgyz town of Cholpon-Ata, which is hosting the second phase of the Issyk-Kul Anti-Terror 2018 drills.