The official did not describe the nature of any plot, but IS has been linked to or inspired several big attacks in America, including a 2016 mass shooting in Florida. He did not say how many former "caliphate" fighters are in Afghanistan, but argued "any number is significant." Their presence could complicate any peace deal with the Taliban, who have pledged to prevent terrorists using Afghanistan as a haven to plot foreign attacks. Internationally, IS claimed responsibility for a string of recent attacks, including the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 253 people in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. On Monday, the jihadists' elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi apparently resurfaced in a propaganda video, his first purported appearance since 2014.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 30, 2019 06:56 UTC