Tajik National Arrested In St. Petersburg On Terror Charges

Police in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, have arrested a Tajik citizen wanted for alleged membership in a terrorist organization.

St. Petersburg law enforcement officials said on July 15 that Ikrom Davronov, 24, is wanted in his homeland for alleged participation in the activities of the Islamic Party of Turkestan (ITP).

Davronov has been placed in a pretrial detention center. His extradition to Tajikistan is being discussed by Russian and Tajik officials.

The IPT is believed to have links to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The group has been banned in Russia and Central Asian countries and is on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations.

ITP fighters are very active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Based on reporting by rosbalt.ru and Interfax