Afghan forces foil IS plan to assassinate top US envoy

KABUL: Afghan authorities said Tuesday they had foiled a plan by the Islamic State militant group to assassinate the top US envoy in Kabul, as a wave of targeted killings continue to rock the country.

Intelligence officers dismantled a four-member IS cell in the eastern province of Nangarhar that had planned to murder Ross Wilson as well as Afghan officials, the National Directorate of Security said.

Wilson, the US Charge d´Affaires in Kabul, has steadfastly condemned a series of assassinations in the capital and other cities of prominent Afghans including journalists, activists and politicians in recent months.

"The main assassin and facilitator of the cell, Abdul Wahed, had planned to assassinate the US ambassador in Afghanistan as well as some high ranking Afghan 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 not respond to requests for comment. In recent months, deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan, including a new trend of targeted killing of prominent Afghans which has sowed fear and chaos despite the Taliban and government engaging in peace talks.