The mastermind behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. troops and approximately 170 Afghans, has been killed by the Taliban. The attack occurred during the disorderly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Initially, neither the U.S. nor the Taliban were aware of the militant’s death, which took place during early May battles between the Taliban and the Islamic State group’s affiliate in southern Afghanistan.
U.S. intelligence confirmed the Islamic State leader’s death with high confidence in recent days, according to a senior administration official—Pentagon press secretary Brig. According to Gen. Patrick Ryder, the United States had no role in hunting the mastermind.
The parents of the 11 Marines, sailors, and soldiers killed in the Abbey Gate blast were informed by the U.S. military, and the news was shared in a private group messaging chat. The news brought little solace for the families: Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover said that he and his son’s mother had spent the past year and a half grieving and seeking accountability from the Biden administration for handling the withdrawal.
There was no coordination between the U.S. and the Taliban in the killing, according to several officials. Using the U.S.’s “over the horizon” intelligence capabilities, the administration official called the Taliban’s operation “significant.”
The fallen service members were screening Afghans attempting to board overcrowded flights out of the country during the frantic evacuation following the Taliban takeover. The Islamic State group claimed the attack at Abbey Gate.
The Islamic State-Khorasan, the Afghanistan-based offshoot of the Islamic State, has up to 4,000 members and is the Taliban’s most significant enemy and military threat. Particularly against minorities, the group has continued to conduct attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over.
Despite the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and the Taliban, a line of communication still exists, led by U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Tom West. The U.S. withdrawal fueled the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and military, leading to the return of the Taliban to power. The Biden administration blamed President Donald Trump for the disorganized withdrawal, culminating in the Abbey Gate bombing.
The news of the mastermind’s killing coincided with President Biden’s formal announcement of his intention to seek a second term. This served as a reminder of one of the most challenging chapters of his presidency. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was the most significant crisis faced by the relatively new administration at the time, raising questions about Biden and his team’s competence and experience.
According to John Kirby, a White House National Security Council spokesman, the United States has instructed the Taliban not to provide a haven for terrorists, regardless of their affiliation. He also highlighted that the U.S. had established an “over-the-horizon” capacity to monitor potential terrorist threats in Afghanistan and other regions, such as Somalia and Syria.
She believes the administration has not taken enough responsibility for the tragedy at Abbey Gate, according to Cheryl Rex, mother of Marine Lance Cpl—Dylan Merola, who died in the blast.
She expressed her feeling that the news about holding ISIS accountable for the deaths was an attempt by the administration to relieve the pressure for accountability.
The situation in Afghanistan remains unstable, with the Taliban struggling to maintain control and combat ongoing threats from groups such as the Islamic State-Khorasan. As the situation evolves, the U.S. and other international stakeholders will closely monitor developments and evaluate their future engagement with Taliban-led Afghanistan.
