Afghanistan foils ISIS plan to assassinate US diplomat

(CNN) -

Afghanistan's intelligence agency said they thwarted an attempt by a four-member ISIS cell to assassinate an American diplomat in Kabul.

US Charge d'Affaires in Kabul Ross Wilson was the target of the planned attack on Monday, the National Security Directorate (NDS) said in a statement released Tuesday.

The four ISIS members, who were also planning to assassinate other senior Afghan officials, were arrested in a special NDS military operation in the Kama district of Nangarhar province, including the mastermind of the Abdul Wahid cell.

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The statement did not provide details on how the four ISIS members planned to carry out the attack.

The State Department is "aware of deeply disturbing reports that ISIS-K members were plotting to assassinate the ambassador of the US Charge d'Affaires, Ross Wilson," a State Department spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.

"The safety and security of American personnel abroad is our highest priority."

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Wilson has served as the top US envoy in Kabul since last January.

"The United States is committed to ending the conflict in Afghanistan through a political agreement that ensures that this country remains sovereign, unified, and democratic, is at peace with itself and its neighbors, and can preserve the gains it has made over the past 19 years, "Wilson said in a post on Twitter Wednesday.

Information contributed by Ehasn Popalzai of CNN in Kabul, Jennifer Hansler in Washington and Mohammed Tawfeeq in Atlanta.

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