Trump administration officials plan to "work closely" with the Afghan government to hunt down the terrorists who planned a deadly attack in Kabul on Thursday morning, the White House said in a statement.
"The United States strongly condemns today’s barbaric attack at a cultural and social center in Kabul, Afghanistan, and offers its deepest condolences to the victims and their families," press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday. "The United States stands firmly with the government and people of Afghanistan and will work closely with the National Unity Government to bring the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice."
The apparent suicide bombing at a Shiite cultural center in Kabul claimed 41 lives and injured dozens of others. The Islamic State has reportedly claimed credit for the attack.
"The enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people, who are resilient and committed to establishing peace and stability," Sanders said in her statement.
President Trump has touted his administration's success in denying ISIS fighters most of the territorial gains they made under the previous administration. However, ISIS still has the ability to radicalize people around the world using social media, and Afghanistan has faced several attacks this year from ISIS.
