Afghanistan: The Laghmani Assassination and the Taliban's Precision

A suicide bombing outside a mosque in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, on Sept. 2 killed Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) deputy chief Abdullah Laghmani and 21 others. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quick to claim responsibility for the attack and report the death of Laghmani, who Mujahid said was targeted because of his role as head of the NDS in Kandahar before claiming the number two spot in Afghanistan's intelligence agency. Laghmani's death was a rare success among the Taliban's attempts to target high-ranking officials but does not necessarily indicate an increase in the Taliban's capability to consistently carry out successful targeted attacks.