A senior Irish diplomat is one of two men reported to have been ordered to leave leave Afghanistan after being accused of being a threat to national security.
Both men are high-ranking officials working for the European Union and the United Nations. An Afghanistan presidential palace official said today that their: "activities were against the national security," and added that they would be expelled from Afghanistan.
Some of their locally hired colleagues, who have been also detained, will also be investigated.
The official refused to be drawn on whether the arrests were in connection with a recent government crackdown on private foreign-run security organizations.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said they were aware of the reports and were pursuing them with the Afghan government.
"We have seen and heard the reports and are following up with the Afghan government," she said.
As in Iraq, there are dozens of private foreign-run security groups in Afghanistan providing protection to international and non-governmental organizations - particularly in areas where the Taliban insurgency is strongest.