AKIPRESS.COM - The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is expecting breakthrough attempts by Afghan armed gangs across member-states' borders, but rules out a large-scale invasion, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said in an interview with ITAR-TASS.

"A massive invasion is unlikely," Bordyuzha said. "We do not think that there are forces in Afghanistan at present which could form groups comprising thousands of fighters and send them to overrun Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and other regions."

"But I'm confident that we'll see breakthrough attempts which already happen," he added.

According to the CSTO secretary general, the number of clashes on the Tajik-Afghan border has increased by several times to 35 in the past six months. "These are attempts by armed gangs to break through the state border of Tajikistan, they are drug mafia and armed groups engaging in other things, such as politics," Bordyuzha said.

On top of that, CSTO is expecting attempts to ideologically influence the population of Central Asia countries and set up underground extremist groups in CSTO member-states which would be led by Afghan emissaries.

"Drug business and drug trafficking are another threat. We're anticipating hard times, and we're getting ready for them," Bordyuzha said.