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Are Syrian jihadis ready to take the fight to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan revives terror challenges for Washington; Russia anticipates security vacuum; Erdogan senses an opportunity.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria celebrates Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan"
A member of Syria's top jihadi group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is led by al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, holds the group's flag as others parade with their flags and those of the Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" through the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib on Aug. 20, 2021. — OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Afghanistan: Islamic State appeals to "educated extremists"

The Biden administration has vowed retaliation against the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) for the Aug. 26 attack on the Kabul airport thath killed 13 US armed service members and over 90 Afghan civilians. More violence is likely. US Marine Corps Gen. and CENTCOM commander Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie said after the attack that "we expect those attacks to continue."

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