ISIS, a NATO branch

Kyrgyz Intelligence Claims IS Penetrating South Of Country  Radical organizations like the Islamic State (IS) group have started to penetrate into southern Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan's Andijon region in the east of the Ferghana valley, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (GKNB) has claimed.

Is There 'Political Space' For Central Asia’s Opposition?  Opposition groups and figures in Central Asia face a very tough task. They are battling for a “political space” in a region where the ultimate priority for the governments is regime survival.

'I'm A Russian Occupier' -- Video Sings Praises Of Russian Imperialism  A new video titled I'm A Russian Occupier defends Russia's occupation of neighboring countries and warns the world not to "mess" with Russians.

Tajikistan's Islamic Renaissance Party On Life Support  A resounding election defeat in Tajikistan's parliamentary elections has Central Asia's only Islamic party on the ropes.

New Video Shows 19 Tajiks Killed Fighting Alongside IS In Syria, Iraq  A new video shared on the Internet shows the photographs of 19 men identified as ethnic Tajiks who are claimed to have died fighting alongside the militant group Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Interior Minister Claims '200 Tajik Labor Migrants Left Russia To Fight In Syria'  Two hundred labor migrants from Tajikistan have left their workplaces in Russia to go and fight alongside militants in Syria, Tajikistan's Interior Minister, Ramazon Rakhimzoda has claimed.

The Kazakh Teen Charged With Aiding IS In U.S.  The background of a Kazakh teenager arrested in the United States on suspicion of assisting the Islamic State (IS) group is shrouded in mystery, an investigation by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service has revealed.

Kyrgyzstan Could Designate IS As Terror Group  Kyrgyzstan could be set to designate the Islamic State (IS) group as a terrorist organization.

A Pyrrhic Victory In Tajik Parliamentary Elections  Last week's defeat for the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and the unofficial end of a two-decade-old power-sharing deal raise questions about the future of Islam in politics not only in Tajikistan but in all of Central Asia.

RFE/RL Blocked In Kazakhstan After Reporting On Kazakh IS Video  RFE/RL's Kazakh Service has been blocked in Kazakhstan after reporting on a video showing Kazakh militants calling for others to join the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

A New Front For Islamic State  The Ferghana Valley in Central Asia has for years been a hotbed for drugs, smuggling, and Islamic extremism. One of the most densely populated areas of the region, it has now become fertile ground for Islamic State militants.

Russian Defense Ministry: IS Poses Threat To Tajikistan  In comments that are sure to exacerbate ever-growing fears of militancy in Central Asia, Russia's deputy defense minister has warned that militants from the Islamic State (IS) group in Afghanistan pose a threat to Tajikistan.

Tajik Opposition Leader Killed  Fugitive Tajik opposition politician and businessman Umarali Quvatov, who once had close ties with President Emomali Rahmon, has been shot dead on the street in Istanbul.

Turkmenistan Keeping Aloof From Afghan Turkmen  Turkmenistan’s UN-recognized status as a neutral state may soon to be tested by events just over the border in Afghanistan. But for now, the Turkmen government is maintaining its policy of “positive neutrality,” certainly as concerns their ethnic kin: the Turkmen of Afghanistan.

Tajik Nurse Recalls Kidnapping Ordeal  Gulrukhsor Rofieva took a job at a hospital in Yemen with the hope of saving money to buy a house in Tajikistan. Her dream turned into a nightmare when she was kidnapped by unknown militants and held for ransom.

Slaying Of Tajik Opposition Leader Draws Nemtsov Comparisons  Following the killing of a wanted Tajik opposition leader on the streets of Istanbul, it didn't take long for fellow oppositionists to draw comparisons to the recent assassination of Boris Nemtsov in Russia.

Three Arrests As Tajik Oppositionist Buried  Turkish media reports say three Tajik men have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of Tajik opposition figure Umarali Quvatov, who was shot dead in Istanbul last week.

Five Uzbeks Killed Fighting In Syria  Five Uzbek nationals reported killed fighting alongside militants in Syria in February had been labor migrants in Russia, according to a report by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, Radio Ozodi.

Kazakh ‘Rerun’: A Brief History Of Kazakhstan’s Presidential Elections  Kazakhstan is conducting an early presidential election, which is no surprise. In fact, none of the events surrounding this snap presidential poll is surprising. With the possible exception of the first post-Soviet presidential election, every presidential election in Kazakhstan has been an early election.