Multiple US officials have warned of a possible attack by Daesh group on United States soil following the arrest of eight Tajik nationals affiliated with the group, CNN said in a report.

The recent arrest of eight Tajik nationals believed to have connections to Daesh has heightened concerns among national security officials that a dangerous affiliate of the now-splintered terror group could potentially carry out an attack on US soil, according to multiple US officials who spoke to CNN.

Some of them have told CNN that the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan has reduced Washington’s ability to collect information about the threats of terrorism in Afghanistan.

However, the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan and is unable to carry out operations in the country.

“The US is concerned about the origins of Daesh, but the US, both inside and in the regions of the world where Daesh activities are possible, should use advanced technologies, defense and security forces to suppress Daesh,” said Mohammad Radmanesh, a former military official.

Four days ago, eight Tajik nationals were arrested in the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia on charges of being connected with Daesh, according to CNN.

According to experts, meanwhile, Daesh is a means for powerful countries to create terror in the region.

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The Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation (MoRR) announced Saturday the expulsion of more than 5,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran.

The ministry said in a post on X that 4,881 refugees were expelled from Iran and 775 from Pakistan.

The Ministry of Refugees stated that the returnees entered the country on Thursday and Friday.

These refugees entered the country through the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders after being expelled.

Tajikistan has expressed opposition to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) activities, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said.

The issue was discussed at the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Council held in Kazakhstan’s Astana on May 20-21.

“Russia and the majority of participants favoured resuming this contact group’s work. Our Tajik partners still have certain reservations, but we hope they will reconsider their stance soon,” Kabulov said referring to the SCO-Afghanistan contact group, RIA Novosti reported.

A Tajik official, however, has said that Kabulov has incorrectly presented Tajikistan’s position in this regard.

“We note Mr. Kabulov’s incorrect presentation of Tajikistan’s position on the issue of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group activities,” Ahmad Saidmurodzoda, Tajikistan’s National Coordinator for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), told Asia-Plus.

“Within the framework of the SCO, Tajikistan have consistently emphasized the need to discuss Afghanistan issues.  As far as the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group activities are concerned, Tajikistan has never opposed the resumption of activities of this group; on contrary, our side draws attention to the fact that Afghanistan received the status of observer at the SCO in 2012, while protocols on the establishment of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group were signed with the authorities of this country in 2005 and 2018,” Saidmurodzoda said.      

He further noted that in this context, the Tajik side, including during the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, had proposed “at this stage to launch an expert discussion of Afghan issues in the SCO format.” 

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