The ISIS-K leader was killed by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan in early April during a series of military operations against the terrorist group, according to several news outlets citing U.S. officials.
The Taliban may not have been aware of the person it had killed, but U.S. intelligence picked up on the leader's death with high confidence.
U.S. officials have begun sharing the information of the ISIS-K leader's death with the families of the 13 American service members who died in the bombing.
The deadly attack, which also killed 170 Afghans, was carried out by a suicide bomber carrying pounds of explosive.
It came amid the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which saw American forces hurrying to evacuate U.S. citizens and refugees as the Taliban swept to power.
The Taliban has been battling ISIS-K, an offshoot of the larger terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for the bombing, since the U.S. retreat.
News of the ISIS-K leader's death comes as President Biden announced his reelection bid on Tuesday.
The Afghanistan withdrawal is often considered the the biggest blunger of his administration so far and Biden has struggled on his messaging surrounding the chaotic exit.
The White House earlier this month deflected criticism for the messy withdrawal and pinned the blame on the Trump administration and other external factors, drawing widespread criticism, especially from Republicans.
House Republicans are still irate over the withdrawal and the death of the American troops.
The newfound GOP majority is investigating the U.S. pullout and have demanded the release of documents and records.
We have the full report and more at The Hill.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment