The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a terrorist organization with the goal of overthrowing the Uzbek government and replacing it with an Islamic state. Founded in 1998, the IMU has close ties with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and embraces Osama Bin Laden’s ideology. In mid-2015, the IMU publicly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but in 2016 a new faction emerged that shares al-Qaeda and the Taliban’s views against ISIS.
The IMU has almost 500 fighters who were previously in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan but have recently relocated to Baghlan Province. They are known for their use of guerrilla tactics, including ambushes, suicide bombings, and targeted assassinations. The group has been responsible for a number of deadly attacks in Central Asia, including bombings in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1999 and 2004, and a series of bombings and shootings in the Kyrgyz Republic in 1999 and 2000.
Senior IMU leaders have held positions in the Al-Qaeda hierarchy, and the group has received most of its funding from Osama Bin Laden. The IMU has also been supported by the Taliban, who provided them with safe havens and training camps in Afghanistan. The group’s current leader, Jaffar Yuldash, is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.
The IMU poses a significant threat to stability and security in Central Asia, and their recent relocation to Baghlan Province could escalate the conflict in the region. The Afghan government, along with its international allies, must take action to prevent the IMU from carrying out further attacks and destabilizing the region.
