The U.S. military launched a drone strike against a “planner” from ISIS-K, the terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed about 170 people near the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
The military conducted “an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner” in the Nangahar Province of Afghanistan, Bill Urban, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.
13 US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN TWIN EXPLOSIONS OUTSIDE KABUL AIRPORT
“Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties,” Urban added. He did not say whether the target was involved in planning the airport attack on Thursday.
The announcement was released Friday evening in Washington, D.C., which would be Saturday morning in Kabul.
An ISIS-K fighter walked up to the Abbey Gate entrance at the airport on Thursday evening where U.S. and coalition forces have evacuated more than 110,000 people this month who are afraid to live under Taliban rule. The fighter detonated an unusually large suicide vest, according to the New York Times, which weighed about 25 pounds, whereas a normal one is between 10-20 pounds.
The explosion killed more than a dozen U.S. soldiers and 170 people total, wounding countless others.
In his first address after the bombing, President Joe Biden vowed to get revenge for the attack.
“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay,” he said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president “made clear” that he doesn’t “want [ISIS-K] to live on the Earth anymore,” during Friday’s briefing.
U.S. officials are concerned about the possibility of a second attack.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said there were “specific credible threats” against the U.S. troops during Friday’s briefing while the White House spokesperson described the possibility of an attack as a “likely occurrence.”
“We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks, and we expect those attacks to continue,” CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said during Thursday’s Pentagon briefing.
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The U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued a warning urging Americans to leave the airport early Saturday morning.
“Because of security threats at the Kabul airport, we continue to advise U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates,” the warning reads. “U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey gate, East gate, North gate or the New Ministry of Interior gate now should leave immediately.”
U.S. forces are still assisting with evacuations of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies at the Kabul airport ahead of an Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline. Biden has repeatedly resisted calls to extend the self-imposed deadline date, in part citing the concern for attacks.
