Head of U.S. Central Command says Taliban 'thwarted' earlier attacks

Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.
(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

After suicide bombers and gunmen launched an assault in Kabul on Thursday that left at least 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghan civilians dead, the head of U.S. Central Command, Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., said the Taliban has "thwarted" several attacks in Afghanistan since effectively taking control of the government earlier this month.

The Islamic State's splinter group in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, has taken responsibility for Thursday's attack. ISIS-K and the Taliban are rivals, with ISIS-K believing the Taliban are too moderate.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.