Afghan authorities said on Tuesday they had foiled a plan by the militantIslamic State, also known as Daesh, group to assassinate the top US envoyin Kabul, as a wave of targeted killings continue to rock the country.
Intelligence officers dismantled a four-member IS cell in the easternprovince of Nangarhar that had planned to murder Ross Wilson as well asAfghan officials, the National Directorate of Security said.
Wilson, the US Charge d’Affaires in Kabul, has steadfastly condemned aseries of assassinations in the capital and other cities of prominentAfghans including journalists, activists and politicians in recent months.
“The main assassin and facilitator of the cell, Abdul Wahed, had planned toassassinate the US ambassador in Afghanistan as well as some high rankingAfghan officials,” the NDS said in a statement.
“Their plan was foiled with their arrest.”
The NDS did not offer further details and the US embassy in Kabul did notrespond to requests for comment.
In recent months, deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan, including a newtrend of targeted killing of prominent Afghans which has sowed fear andchaos despite the Taliban and government engaging in peace talks.
Last week the US military blamed the terror group for these largelyunclaimed targeted killings, although some of them have been claimed by IS.
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Over the years IS has claimed several deadly attacks in Nangarhar, once thebastion of the militant group in the country.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, three Afghan women soldiers were shotdead in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Two gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the troops to work, armyspokesperson Hanif Rezayee said.
Two soldiers died at the scene and one died later in hospital, he said,adding that another military servicewoman and the male driver were woundedin the attack.
No group has so far claimed responsibility. -APP/AFP
