The response was quick. The United States announced on Friday evening, August 27, that it had carried out a drone strike against a “Organizer” of the Islamic State in Khorasan (EI-K). This group had claimed responsibility for the attack perpetrated Thursday afternoon at Kabul airport, which caused the death of ten people, including thirteen American soldiers.
“The unmanned airstrike occurred in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. According to the first indications, we killed the target “, said Commander Bill Urban of Central Command in a statement, saying he was unaware “Of no civilian victim”.
It is not yet clear that the man killed on Friday was specifically involved in Thursday’s suicide bombing outside the gates of Kabul airport, where a crowd of Afghans were desperately trying to enter to flee the fallen country. in the hands of the Taliban. The attack was claimed by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group.
Biden’s promise
This American airstrike comes twenty-four hours after the promise made by Joe Biden to the nation. “We are going to chase you and make you pay”, had declared the president to the address of the authors of the deadliest attack in ten years against the American army in Afghanistan.
“We will respond with force and precision when we decide, where and when we choose”, he added during this solemn speech at the White House.
The strike, launched from outside Afghanistan, came as evacuations continue at Kabul airport, which is under tight surveillance. US Embassy has asked US nationals to leave ” at once “ the area around the airport in a security alert.
“US citizens currently at Abbey Gate, East Gate, North Gate or New Ministry of Interior Gate should leave immediately”, the embassy said on its website, without giving further details. The day before Thursday’s attack, a similar alert was issued.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said earlier today that the Kabul airport evacuation mission, which is supposed to end on August 31, still faces “Specific and credible threats”. The evacuations are continuing a few days before the August 31 deadline set for the withdrawal of American soldiers from Afghanistan, after twenty years of war.
Several thousand people are still taking refuge in the airport and waiting to board a plane, according to General Hank Taylor, who assured that the exfiltrations would take place “Until the last moment”. The gigantic airlift has so far enabled the evacuation of more than 100,000 foreigners and Afghans.
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