据称策划了这起恐怖袭击的恐怖分子2021年8月，阿富汗喀布尔机场发生爆炸杀死了13名美国军人和至少170名阿富汗人塔利班美国官员告诉ABC新闻，“最近几周”。
周二，拜登政府的一名高级官员将伊斯兰国组织阿富汗分支(也被称为ISIS-K或伊斯兰国呼罗珊)的已故领导人描述为袭击的“策划者”，其中涉及一名自杀式炸弹袭击者在混乱的美国撤军期间，在拼命试图进入哈米德·卡尔扎伊国际机场修道院大门的密集人群中引爆了一个爆炸装置。
“我们在最近几周意识到，对2021年8月26日的恐怖袭击负有最大责任的ISIS-K恐怖分子，现在已经在塔利班的一次行动中被击毙，”这名高级官员周二表示。
该官员称，美国没有与塔利班合作击毙ISIS-K头目。
“我们没有直接和塔利班一起进行这次行动。我们不会与塔利班合作。但我们确实认为结果是重要的，”这位官员说，并补充说，美国没有从塔利班获悉杀戮。
自2021年以来一直控制阿富汗政府的塔利班反对ISIS-K
这位高级政府官员表示，ISIS-K仍然渴望扩大其暴力行动的范围，但迄今为止尚未强大到足以在阿富汗以外构成重大威胁。
但是美国军方负责中东事务的最高将领上个月在参议院军事委员会作证时发出了可怕的警告。
“特别是ISIS-Khorasan，参议员，据我的指挥官估计，他们可以在不到六个月的时间里针对美国或西方的海外利益采取外部行动，几乎没有任何警告，”美国中央司令部司令埃里克·库里拉将军说。
据这位高级官员称，尚不清楚为什么塔利班迄今没有公开承认对其对手如此高调的打击。
该官员不愿透露该头目的姓名，但表示在修道院大门爆炸案后，他“仍是ISIS-K的关键人物和策划者”。
在周二晚些时候的一份声明中，白宫发言人约翰·柯比证实了此次行动，称其为“ISIS-K今年遭受了一系列高调的领导损失。”
“他是ISIS-K的一名重要官员，直接参与了阿比盖特等行动的策划，现在他再也不能策划或实施袭击了，”柯比说。
柯比说:“我们已经向塔利班明确表示，他们有责任确保不给恐怖分子提供安全避难所，无论是基地组织还是ISIS-K。
虽然美国官员在塔利班袭击后不久就意识到这位领导人很可能被杀，但他们花了几周时间才确定开始通知在自杀式爆炸中丧生的军人家属。
“我们花了一段时间才高度确信这个人确实是在行动中被除掉的。我们当然希望在通知家属之前做好准备，”这位政府官员告诉ABC新闻。
这位官员说，并不指望这个消息会消除悲伤家庭的痛苦，但“我们觉得有道德责任”通知他们。
上个月，在阿比盖特爆炸中受伤最严重的美国幸存者在共和党领导的众议院听证会上就此事提供了有力的证词后，阿富汗撤军再次受到公众的关注。
在袭击中失去两条肢体的海军中士泰勒·巴尔加斯-安德鲁斯说，他相信他的狙击小组在爆炸前就瞄准了自杀式炸弹袭击者，但没有被允许开枪。
在爆炸中丧生的13名军人是上士达林·t·胡佛;约翰内斯·罗萨里奥中士;尼科尔·吉中士;亨特·洛佩兹下士;代根·佩奇下士;温贝托·桑切斯下士;戴维·埃斯皮诺萨下士;兰斯下士Jared M. Schmitz兰斯下士赖利·j·麦科勒姆;兰斯下士迪伦·r·梅罗拉;兰斯下士Kareem M. Nikoui -所有海军陆战队和海军士官第三类Maxton W. Soviak和陆军参谋军士瑞安C. Knauss。
得克萨斯州共和党众议员迈克尔·麦克考尔(Michael McCaul)主持了巴尔加斯-安德鲁斯作证的听证会，他在周二对美国广播公司新闻的一份声明中批评了拜登政府。
“任何时候恐怖分子被带离董事会都是一个好日子。但这并没有减轻拜登政府对导致艾比盖特袭击事件的失误的罪责，也不会以任何方式阻止委员会的调查，”麦克考尔说。“我不会睡觉，直到每一个石头都被用尽，这些金星家庭有答案——和正义。”
Taliban kills suspected 'mastermind' of bombing that killed 13 US troops, officials say
The terrorist allegedly responsible for planning theAugust 2021 bombing at the Kabul, Afghanistan, airportthat killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghans was himself killed byTalibanfighters "in recent weeks," U.S. officials tell ABC News.
A senior Biden administration official on Tuesday described the deceased leader of the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate (also known as ISIS-K or Islamic State Khorasan) as "the mastermind" of the attack, which involved a suicide bomber detonating an explosive device from within the dense crowds desperately trying to enter the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.
"We have become aware in recent weeks that the ISIS-K terrorist most responsible for that horrific attack of August 26, 2021, has now been killed in a Taliban operation," the senior official said on Tuesday.
The U.S. did not coordinate with the Taliban in the killing of the ISIS-K leader, according to the official.
"We did not conduct this operation directly with the Taliban. We are not partnering with the Taliban. But we do think the outcome is a significant one," the official said, adding that the U.S. did not learn of the killing from the Taliban.
The Taliban, which has been in control of Afghanistan's government since 2021, is opposed to ISIS-K.
The senior administration official said that ISIS-K still aspires to extend the reach of its violent operations but so far has not grown strong enough to pose a major threat outside of Afghanistan.
But the U.S. military's top general for the Middle East gave a dire warning in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.
"Specifically ISIS-Khorasan, senator, it is my commander's estimate that they can do an external operation against U.S. or Western interests abroad in under six months, with little to no warning," U.S. Central Command's Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla said.
It is not clear why the Taliban has so far not publicly taken credit for such a high-profile blow against its adversary, according to the senior official.
The official would not give the name of the leader but said he "remained a key ISIS-K figure and plotter" after the Abbey Gate bombing.
In a statement later Tuesday, White House spokesman John Kirby confirmed the operation, describing it as "a series of high-profile leadership losses ISIS-K has suffered this year."
"He was a key ISIS-K official directly involved in plotting operations like Abbey Gate, and now is no longer able to plot or conduct attacks," Kirby said, in part.
“We have made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether al Qa’ida or ISIS-K," Kirby said.
While U.S. officials became aware the leader was likely killed soon after the Taliban attack, it took weeks until they were certain enough to begin informing the families of service members who were killed in the suicide bombing.
"It took a bit of time to go to a high level of confidence that this indeed was an individual who had been removed in the operation. And we of course we wanted to get that right before notifying families," the administration official told ABC News.
U.S. Marine Corps. Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews arrives for testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the U.S. Capitol, March 08, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Win Mcnamee/Getty Images, FILE
The official said that there's no expectation the news will take away the pain felt by grieving families, but "we felt and feel a moral responsibility" to inform them.
The Afghanistan withdrawal received renewed public attention last month after the most gravely wounded U.S. survivor of the blast at Abbey Gate gave powerful testimony during a GOP-led House hearing on the matter.
Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who lost two limbs in the attack, said he believes his sniper team had the suicide bomber in its sights before the explosion but was not allowed to take the shot.
The 13 service members killed in the bombing were Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover; Sgt. Johanny Rosario; Sgt. Nicole L. Gee; Cpl. Hunter Lopez; Cpl. Daegan W. Page; Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez; Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza; Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz; Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola; Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui -- all Marines -- and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who chaired the hearing at which Vargas-Andrews testified, criticized the Biden administration in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday.
“Any time a terrorist is taken off the board is a good day. But this doesn’t diminish the Biden administration’s culpability for the failures that led to the attack at Abbey Gate, and will in no way deter the committee’s investigation," McCaul said. "I will not sleep until every stone is unturned and these Gold Star families have answers -- and justice."
