Tajikistan Unmasks Poison Plot: ISIS-K's Foiled Festival Attack

Over 30 individuals tied to ISIS-K were sentenced to prison in Tajikistan for attempting to poison a festival in 2024. The implicated are linked to a broader extremist network responsible for attacks in the region. Authorities continue to pursue additional suspects.

In a significant crackdown on extremism, a court in Tajikistan sentenced more than 30 people to prison terms ranging from eight to 20 years for plotting to poison festival-goers last year. The prosecutor general's office released this information on Friday.

Sources within Tajik security agencies confirmed that those convicted were linked to Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), an Afghan extension of ISIS. This group has claimed responsibility for deadly incidents elsewhere, including a mass shooting in Moscow.

Prosecutors revealed the sabotage involved targeting the Nowruz festival in Vahdat, where food poisoning was planned. Ten additional suspects remain at large, highlighting ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in Tajikistan, a nation still grappling with militant threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)