MOSCOW (Interfax-AVN) — More than 2,500 militants of the Islamic State (ISIL, “Daesh”) organization have been redeployed to the Afghan-Pakistani zone from Syria this year, the chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Anatoly Sidorov, said.

According to the CSTO Joint Staff, most of the Islamic State terrorists are now concentrated in Afghanistan following their heavy losses in Syria, Iraq, and Libya: “Afghanistan is now the principal center of the Islamic State terrorists.”

The CTSO report did not specify how the Islamic State terrorists were transferred from Syria to Afghanistan; however, in the past, Russia has accused the U.S. of moving these militants to the country.

Currently, the Islamic State still maintains a large presence in eastern Syria, despite ongoing efforts of the US-backed forces and Syrian government troops to clear the terrorist group from this vast desert region.

In recent months, the Islamic State has taken to the Syrian Desert to evade capture by the government troops and US-backed forces; allowing them to carry out hit-and-run attacks against both sides. As of now, both the Syrian Army and US-backed forces are attempting to clear the Deir Ezzor Governorate of the remaining Islamic State terrorists before the new year.