A senior US counterterrorism official said about 2,000 Afghan nationals living in the United States have been identified for alleged links to militant groups, following their entry under a programme launched after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, told the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee that the individuals entered the country under “Operation Allies Welcome” and were under review for suspected ties to terrorist organisations.
“We’ve identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organisations,” Kent said, referring to Afghans evacuated to the United States after 2021. He said authorities were working with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate the cases.
Kent said US agencies had identified about 18,000 people with alleged ties to militant groups who entered the country during the administration of former President Joe Biden, describing them as the most significant current terrorism-related threat to the United States. He did not provide details on how many of those individuals were Afghan nationals.
Kent also said Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda had found renewed sanctuary in countries including Afghanistan and Syria due to what he described as political instability, and that militants were increasingly using online platforms and encrypted applications to spread propaganda and inspire attacks.
He said security officials were observing a shift away from organised cell-based plots toward so-called “inspirational” attacks, in which extremist figures disseminate guidance to individuals inside the United States.
The remarks were made during a hearing that included testimony from security officials serving under President Donald Trump, with some lawmakers criticising the vetting of Afghan evacuees under the Biden administration.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said a recent shooting involving Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused of killing a member of the US National Guard, had highlighted what she described as failures in follow-up security screening.
“When this individual entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome, he was vetted and admitted but was not subsequently monitored,” Noem said.
Following the incident, US authorities tightened scrutiny of Afghan refugees, detaining several individuals, reopening thousands of security reviews and suspending visa processing for Afghan passport holders, officials said.
