Target Acquired

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Taliban forces killed the leader of the Islamic State (IS) cell responsible for the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul’s international airport, an attack that killed almost 200 people and came shortly after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops, CBS News reported.

Pentagon officials confirmed that the Taliban killed the mastermind “in early April,” but added that the US was not involved in the operation. They also did not name the individual and it’s unclear whether the Taliban specifically targeted him or he was killed during ongoing skirmishes between IS and the Taliban.

The US was not informed about the death by the Taliban, but learned of the leader’s death via intelligence gathering and the monitoring of the region’s ongoing threats and actors, officials noted.

The 2021 airport attack killed more than 180 people, including 13 US service members. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The bombing was a significant blow for the Taliban and put into question their guarantees for a more peaceful Afghanistan following their return, the New York Times wrote.

Since the withdrawal, Taliban and IS-K fighters have been engaged in numerous battles across the country. While Taliban security forces have prevented the armed group from claiming territory or recruiting fighters, IS-K has spread to nearly all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

The group has also carried out major suicide attacks on government buildings and diplomatic missions in Kabul.