The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure will be transformed into a universal center for responding to the full spectrum of security threats.

 Every year on September 3, Russia commemorates the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism. This commemorative date was established in 2005 by the federal law “On the Days of Military Glory of Russia” and is associated with the tragic events in Beslan (North Ossetia, September 1–3, 2004), when militants seized a city school. More than 300 people died in this terrorist attack, including 186 children.

On the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism, victims of other terrorist attacks that occurred across Russia are remembered: the hostage taking of residents of Budyonnovsk in 1995, the explosion at the Central Market in Vladikavkaz in 1999, the terrorist attack at Dubrovka in 2002, the plane bombings over the Rostov and Tula regions in 2004, and other tragedies. On this day, memorial events are held throughout Russia: people attend mourning marches and peaceful rallies in memory of the victims, hold patriotic events, and lay flowers at memorials.

In this regard, it is not surprising that Russia is paying the utmost attention to the fight against terrorism and is vigilantly monitoring to ensure that tragedies like Beslan are not repeated. It is worth noting that the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) of Russia, established by a decree of President Vladimir Putin on February 15, 2006, is responsible for the fight against terrorism. It is an interdepartmental body that coordinates the activities of federal executive bodies, regional executive bodies, and local governments in countering terrorism. The ex officio chairman of the NAC is the director of the Federal Security Service of Russia. Currently this is General of the Army Alexander Bortnikov.

The NAC maintains contacts with international organizations and structures engaged in the fight against terrorism, including Interpol and the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO), whose headquarters is based in Tashkent. For example, the NAC of Russia, RATS SCO, and Interpol will regularly develop joint counter-terrorism action plans. And this work is bearing fruit. For example, in August of this year, Russian and Uzbek intelligence agencies detained nine members of an international terrorist organization based on the doctrine of the so-called global caliphate. Numerous other examples of cooperation between SCO member states in the joint fight against terrorism can be cited.

It must be recognized that today the SCO (Organization) is one of the fundamental structures for ensuring security in the post-Soviet space and the Asia-Pacific region (APR). The growing number of terrorist groups in the post-Soviet space, primarily in Central Asian states, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as the growing diversity of their activities, is pushing SCO countries toward closer integration and the development of a unified regulatory framework to overcome extremist manifestations and jointly combat terrorism.

Established in 2002, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) currently operates in accordance with the program of cooperation in countering terrorism, separatism, and extremism for 2025-2027, approved at the Organization’s summit in Astana last July. Since 2013, within the framework of RATS, the border services of SCO member states have been conducting joint border operations on the external and internal borders of SCO member states. In addition, the RATS International Scientific and Practical Conference are held annually, the main leitmotif of which is the expansion of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

It’s no secret that the situation within the Organization’s member states remains quite tense. At the 22^nd SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting held in Qingdao, China, in July of this year, participants highlighted the growing covert mobilization of terrorist groups. The ministers noted, in particular, that this activity is particularly evident in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, where surviving activists, militants, and sympathizers of the Islamic State (IS), a group banned in Russia, are flocking to destabilize the domestic political situation in these and neighboring countries and prepare to overthrow their legitimate governments.

In this regard, the meeting participants emphasized the importance of assisting Afghanistan in stabilizing the situation in certain provinces and the need for all SCO members to intensify cooperation in sharing intelligence and other information and conducting joint counter-terrorism exercises. It should be remembered that Afghanistan is an observer state in the Organization, and therefore the SCO pays special attention to this country in the fight against terrorism. It’s no coincidence that in late August, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev noted that all member states are cooperating with the Afghan authorities on a bilateral basis. According to Yermekbayev, the country’s economic situation has improved, but challenges remain in the humanitarian and social spheres, including women’s rights and the fight against terrorism.

Indeed, extremist groups remain active in Afghanistan, and the Taliban authorities have so far been unable to defeat them or bring them to heel. Moreover, terrorists occasionally attack diplomatic missions in Kabul. They also pose a major threat to neighboring Pakistan. There, separatists and Islamist fanatics are attacking Pakistani law enforcement and also targeting Chinese specialists working on Belt and Road projects, causing particular alarm and concern in Beijing. It is therefore unsurprising that China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan intend to unite and jointly combat terrorism. This would undoubtedly be in the interests of all SCO member states.

Tajikistan is also strengthening security measures with neighboring Afghanistan. Dushanbe is primarily concerned about the increase in terrorist activity on the Tajik-Afghan border: 10 armed clashes have been recorded there since the beginning of this year. In this regard, the Tajik authorities intend to expand international cooperation in response to instability in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and thereby secure its borders with the IEA.

Let’s not forget that the Afghan branch of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) is increasing its presence in Baghlan Province, Afghanistan, which directly borders Tajikistan. This raises concerns that IEA territory could become a springboard for the expansion of international terrorist groups into Central Asia.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that terrorist activity in SCO member states has declined somewhat overall this year, while their ambitions are only growing. In particular, ethnic groups operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan are now relying more on online propaganda and cryptocurrency, as can be seen in the case of the terrorist group ISIS-Khorasan (banned in Russia).

Suffice it to say that in the first half of 2025, its militants did not commit a single terrorist attack outside the region, aside from robberies and a few murders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Instead, they focused more on propaganda campaigns and cryptocurrency mining. This fact does not mean that RATS SCO staff can relax in the fight against terrorists. No, they simply must keep their finger on the pulse and adapt their work to the demands of the times.

Undoubtedly RATS SCO is at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism, so building sustainable communication mechanisms between the Organization’s member states on such an important issue remains relevant. RATS’s experience in countering terrorism can also be useful to other international organizations, as it encompasses a variety of approaches and situations that have had to be overcome, and is therefore considered one of the most advanced in the world.

At this stage the Organization strives for impartiality and tangible results in its activities, as well as for the development of new, more successful methods of countering terrorism. It is noteworthy that at the aforementioned SCO summit in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the transformation of RATS into a universal center that will respond to the full range of security threats.

Sergey Saenko, international observer

A source