KABUL, Aug 28 (DNA): A planner of the deadly attack on the Kabul airport
has been killed in a drone strike in eastern Afghanistan, the US
military claimed on Saturday.
According to local media reports, the US has conducted an airstrike in
eastern Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province targeting an affiliate of
ISIS-K and one of the masterminds of Thursday twin blasts at Hamid
Karzai International Airport. Fox News has found that the slain planned
to carry out such attacks in the future.
More than 100 people, including 13 US service members and 22 Taliban
fighters, were killed in Thursday’s explosions attacks at the Hamid
Karzai International Airport.
The ISIS-K, locally known as Daesh, claimed responsibility for the
attack, prompting an immediate response from US President Joe Biden, who
vowed to punish the perpetrators.
“US military forces carried out an over-the-horizon counterterrorism
operation against an ISIS-K planner in Nangarhar province. Initial
indications are that we killed the target.” US central command
spokesperson Bill Urban.
Captain Bill Urban said in a statement: “The unmanned airstrike occurred
in Nangarhar province. Initial indications are that we killed the
target. We know of no civilian casualties.”
Without identifying the targeted individual, the spokesperson suggested
this could be the first of many reprisals at ISIS-K targets for the
terrorist attacks at the airport.
Earlier, CENTCOM commander General Frank McKenzie had said that they
were expecting other attacks and explosions at the airport and had asked
the Taliban fighters to intensify their security level as the fighter
man the security out of HKIA.
US embassy based in HKIA reiterated to people not to come to the airport
and asked them to stay away as they are expecting an attack in Kabul.
As per the latest information, the US evacuation mission was not
interrupted and the total number of evacuees now amounts to 111 thousand
people.
The country has said that they will continue evacuating people until the
last minute in Kabul. DNA
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