Kabul airport attack ‘mastermind’ killed by IEA, US officials say

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have killed a Daesh militant who was the “mastermind” behind a suicide attack at Kabul’s international airport in 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and scores of civilians during the United States’ chaotic evacuation from the country, Reuters cited US officials as saying.

The bombing occurred on Aug. 26, 2021, as U.S. troops were trying to help Americans and Afghans flee in the chaotic aftermath of the IEA’s takeover, and compounded America’s sense of defeat after 20 years of war, Reuters reported.

“He was a key ISIS-K [Daesh] official directly involved in plotting operations like Abbey Gate, and now is no longer able to plot or conduct attacks,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement, referring to the Abbey Gate entrance to the Kabul airport where the blast occurred. He did not name the official.

The Daesh leader, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed in southern Afghanistan in early April as the IEA forces conducted a series of operations against the Daesh group, the Associated Press reported citing one of the officials.

The IEA at the time were not aware of the identity of the person they killed, the official added.

Daesh is an enemy of the IEA. Fighters loyal to Daesh first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2014 and later made inroads in other areas, read the report.