The Iraqi terror group Kata’ib Hezbollah, which is heavily supported by Iran’s IRGC Quds Force, was recently involved in terror plots against Jewish targets in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Iran International reported.

The Kata’ib Hezbollah terror group, which abducted Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkiov last year, is an Iraqi Shia militia formed in 2007 which is also known as Hezbollah Brigades. The group recently expanded its operations to Syria, where it has joined other Iranian-back militias in fighting for Basher Al-Assad’s regime, and now in Central Asia.

Sources told Iran International that Kata’ib Hezbollah has been involved in terror activities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan via a Tajik operative named Muhammad Ali Burhanov.

Recent terror plots in Central Asia linked to Burhanov and his operatives include a failed gunfire attack on the Jewish Agency offices in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and attempted arson attacks at two other targets in Almatry: the Ohr Avner Jewish Center and a warehouse owned by Neostream Co., and one in Uzbekistan, a farm owned by Saxovat Broyler Co. in the city of Tashkent.

There is a population of over 10,000 Jews in Uzbekistan, with the largest community in Tashkent, the capital and largest city, and about 2,500 Jews in Kazakhstan, mainly in Almatry, its largest city.

The involvement of Burhanov and his operatives in Central Asia is backed by  IRGC Quds Force’s Department 400, with direct involvement from senior officials

The militia’s operations were first reported by Terror Alarm on X earlier this month.

Earlier this month, the IDF ordered all off-duty IDF soldiers in Azerbaijan and Georgia to immediately return to Israel amid fear of  Iranian retaliatory attacks against Israeli targets in those countries.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)