Iran Returned Bodies Of Afghan Migrants 24 Days After Border Killings

Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.

The US Department of Homeland Security earlier confirmed that an Afghan refugee had been arrested on suspicion of making terroristic threats. According to the Department of Justice, Alokozay recorded video messages on 23 November in which he issued threats, prompting the charges against him.

Officials said the videos were posted across multiple social media platforms, including TikTok, X, and Facebook. In the recordings, Alokozay allegedly threatened to carry out a suicide attack, issued threats against “infidels” and Americans, praised the Taliban, and claimed he had come to the United States to kill people.

Alokozay is currently in custody and awaiting his initial appearance before a US magistrate judge. Assistant US Attorney Vincent Mazzurco is overseeing the case.

US Attorney Raybould said the United States has “zero tolerance for violence and threats of violence” such as those allegedly made by Alokozay. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the case demonstrated the national-security risks posed by what she described as a breakdown in vetting under the Biden administration. She said the Justice Department would continue working with federal and state partners to protect Americans.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Alokozay entered the country on 7 September 2022 under “Operation Allies Welcome,” the resettlement programme for at-risk Afghans.

A video circulating on social media appears to show Alokozay speaking live with several users, threatening to make a bomb “right here” in the United States and stating he would carry out a suicide attack against “infidels” or anyone he chose.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the scale of the national-security challenge created under Joe Biden “cannot be overstated,” adding that President Donald Trump had directed his administration to continue rooting out such threats inside the United States.

The affected countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

An official memo outlining the Trump administration’s new policy linked the decision to last week’s attack on members of the US National Guard in Washington, in which an Afghan man was arrested as the suspected gunman. Officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who had been granted asylum in April.

Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has introduced a series of stringent immigration policies. Following the recent attack in Washington, the administration has intensified measures targeting migrants, particularly Afghans.

Officials said the move is intended to ease the movement of travellers and strengthen bilateral trade with Afghanistan.

According to Uzbek outlets, reopening the land border forms part of a broader plan to increase exports to as much as $2.5 billion by 2026.

Uzbekistan closed its land border with Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power, citing security concerns. Under the new policy, citizens of both countries may now cross the border, although visa requirements remain in place.

The development comes as the Taliban, facing heightened tensions with Pakistan and the closure of multiple crossings, seek alternative trade routes.

Afghanistan and Uzbekistan maintain extensive economic ties, with frequent official visits exchanged over the past four years. According to data from Uzbekistan’s Statistics Committee, bilateral trade reached $1.3 billion from January to October this year, a 46.7 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023.

Mostaghfer Gurbaz, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, also released details of the charges against the man executed on Tuesday, identified as Mangal. He said Mangal was accused of killing members of a family.

According to Gurbaz, Mangal and his two sons killed 13 members of a family ten months ago in the Ali Sher district of Khost. He wrote on X that the cases of Mangal and his sons were identical and that the same ruling of retribution had been issued for all three. However, he said the executions of the two sons were delayed because, under Islamic law, the victims’ heir, described as the family’s surviving young daughter, is abroad. He added that had the heir been present, the two sons would have been executed alongside their father.

On Monday, the Taliban issued a public call urging people to gather at the Khost stadium to witness the execution. The governor’s spokesperson later said that around 80,000 people were present, with images showing spectators even climbing trees to get a clearer view.

Taliban courts have issued death sentences for the man and his sons. The United Nations and human rights organizations consider public executions a violation of human dignity and an inhumane practice, and have repeatedly urged the Taliban to halt them. The Taliban, however, insist they will continue implementing what they describe as Islamic Sharia.

Speaking ahead of the Russia–India meeting in New Delhi, Peskov said Afghanistan is a key country in Central Asia and borders several former Soviet republics, including Tajikistan. He said Russia maintains relations with Afghanistan despite the Taliban being a de facto government, adding that it is an important country in the region.

Referring to the deployment of Russian border forces in Tajikistan, he said this underscores the need for continued engagement with the Taliban authorities. He added that Russia and India share a “full understanding” on the importance of maintaining dialogue.

His remarks came after Tajikistan’s presidential press office confirmed on Monday that two attacks launched from Afghan territory over the past week had killed five people and injured five others. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has instructed security agencies to bolster border protection.

On Tuesday, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told his Tajik counterpart that the Taliban was prepared to help secure the frontier and take part in a joint investigation into the incident.