Lithuania warns of ISIS-K recruitment threat

Lithuania has identified the Afghanistan-based branch of the Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan Province, as a potential threat to its national security, according to a newly published national security assessment.

The report, released on Sunday by Lithuania’s authorities, said the militant group has increased efforts to recruit individuals through social media platforms operating inside Lithuania.

According to the document, the online recruitment campaigns primarily target young people from Central Asia, with propaganda and extremist messaging circulated through digital networks.

Officials said recruitment attempts have also been reported among young Central Asian communities living in exile, many of whom currently reside in Lithuania and whose numbers have grown in recent years.

Security services across Central Asia have previously warned about the spread of extremist propaganda online. Authorities in Kyrgyzstan earlier expressed concern about the recruitment of young people by ISIS-linked networks through social media.

International security assessments have also warned that several militant organizations remain active in Afghanistan despite the Taliban takeover in 2021. Reports from the United Nations Security Council say groups including Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan continue to operate in the country.

Lithuanian authorities say the findings highlight the growing challenge posed by online radicalization and the need for stronger monitoring of extremist networks targeting vulnerable youth.

Meanwhile, officials in Kabul reject allegations that groups such as Al-Qaeda or ISIS-K are freely operating in Afghanistan, describing such claims as politically motivated.

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