The mastermind of the suicide bombing near Kabul airport in August 2021, which killed at least 173 people, including 13 US soldiers, was killed by the Taliban, several US media reported Tuesday, April 25.

The terrorist, whose identity was not specified or the manner or date of his death, was a leader of the Islamic State-Khorasan group (IS-K), according to U.S. officials interviewed on condition of anonymity by The Washington Post.

IS-K had claimed responsibility for the August 26, 2021 attack at the time of the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan that drew widespread criticism.

'Continued anti-terrorist pressure'

The United States was not involved in the Taliban-led operation, the sources said. U.S. intelligence is seeking to confirm the death and the Biden administration is reportedly waiting to notify all families of U.S. servicemen killed before making an announcement, sources told Politico.

"I want to emphasize that this development illustrates the continued counterterrorism pressure against ISIS-K in Afghanistan and elsewhere," a Biden administration official told The Washington Post. "We see this operation as emblematic of an Afghanistan that has become a difficult environment for terrorists like ISIS-K who would like to hurt Americans," he added.

The Biden administration began calling relatives of U.S. servicemen killed in the attack Monday to break the news, according to the New York Times, which said U.S. intelligence learned the information in early April.

No other "scenario"

The images of the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghans at Kabul airport in late summer 2021 shocked the United States and went around the world.

On August 30, 2021, one minute before midnight, the last American soldier flew from the airport of the Afghan capital 24 hours ahead of the deadline set by the US president for the withdrawal of troops from the country. The Taliban had already regained power.

This withdrawal ended the longest military intervention by the United States, which began in response to the attack of September 11, 2001. It claimed the lives of more than 2,400 U.S. soldiers over nearly 20 years, according to the U.S. military.

In early April, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby defended the way the withdrawal had been conducted. In particular, the US executive has published a document concluding that there is no other "scenario" possible, unless it maintains in the country a reinforced and permanent US military force to fight the Taliban.

With AFP

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