WASHINGTON — The United States is still actively pursuing the network responsible for the deadly Abbey Gate attack during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to Christopher Maier, the Pentagon’s civilian chief overseeing special operations.
Maier said that while the group behind the attack has been “pretty degraded,” it has not been entirely eliminated.
The August 26, 2021, bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport claimed the lives of 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members. The attack was carried out by ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State.
Referencing President Biden’s vow after the attack, Maier said, “We are in the process of doing that,” adding that significant progress has been made in dismantling the network responsible for the bombing.
The Abbey Gate attack, which occurred during the chaotic final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, marked a tragic moment in an operation that, while successfully evacuating 124,000 people, has been widely criticized as disorderly and mismanaged.
The withdrawal continues to be a contentious issue in U.S. politics, particularly among Republican presidential candidates who have criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the exit.
