On Aug. 29, 2021, American drone operators searched Kabul for the Islamic State bomber whom intelligence reports indicated was preparing to target masses of people trying to escape Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdrew from the country. The atmosphere was tense. Just three days earlier, another ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. service members and around 170 Afghans outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.

For much of the day, operators of an MQ-9 Reaper had followed the movements of Zemari Ahmadi. Like the alleged bomber, Ahmadi drove a white Toyota Corolla that he drove in circuits around Kabul. Operators believed jugs inside the car’s trunk and a small black bag were filled with explosives.