Taliban kill IS leader behind Kabul airport bombing

Huge crowds had been gathering at the airport before the blast, hoping to be accepted on to an evacuation flight as US troops pulled out of Afghanistan

In a dramatic turn of events, the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the killing of the Islamic State (IS) group leader behind the deadly bombing that roiled Kabul airport in August 2021. US officials have confirmed that the Taliban took down the mastermind of what was one of the deadliest attacks in the war-torn history of Afghanistan.

The suicide bombing outside the airport killed 13 US service members and dozens of Afghan civilians in a blast that rocked the city and the world. The Islamic State group, which is a rival to the Taliban, later claimed responsibility for the shocking attack.

However, now the tables have turned. The Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in mid-August after a swift blitz, has announced that it hunted down and killed the man believed to have orchestrated the atrocity that stained the nation's name.

"See the fate of the one who caused the bloodshed of innocent Afghans and non-Afghans," boasted spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid of the Taliban in his statement regarding the incident.

The US military has also shared its assessment that the IS group leader behind the Kabul airport bombing was eliminated by the Taliban. US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, stated that the individual in question may have been the IS-Khorasan (IS-K) Permanent Suicide Bureau Chief.

"The drone strike was carried out in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan," said Capt. Urban in his statement. He added that "Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties."

The Islamic State group's Khorasan Province affiliate has been a thorn in the side of both the Taliban and US forces, despite the latter's best efforts to root the militants out of Afghanistan.

The death of the group's leader responsible for the Kabul airport attack marks a turning point in the embattled nation's recent history. It also shows that the Taliban is willing to take on its rivals amid the chaotic and uncertain landscape of Afghanistan's post-occupation era.

As the world watches and waits to see what the Taliban-led future for Afghanistan looks like, this latest development is a stark reminder of the violence and conflict that continue to plague the country. While the elimination of the mastermind of the Kabul airport bombing may signal a victory for the Taliban and its efforts to assert control, it is clear that the road ahead remains perilous and uncertain.