A U.S.(Washington Insider Magazine) – military drone on Aug. 29 blew up a vehicle with several “suicide bombers” inside with ties to the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group, according to several news outlets.
The group, known as ISIS-K, reportedly had targeted the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The alleged failed attack comes after weeks of frantic evacuation by the U.S. and allies while an Aug. 31 deadline approaches for the effort.
However, a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department and more than 90 other countries on Aug. 29 warned that the withdrawal may go beyond the deadline. The statement stated that it had “assurances” from the Taliban that “those who are at risk can continue to travel freely to destinations outside Afghanistan.”
The Taliban’s Political Office Deputy Director Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai tweeted that “those Afghans who are intending to go abroad, they can do so in a dignified manner and peace of mind by having legal documents like passports and visas after resumption of commercial flights in the country.”
BBC reported that the U.S. contingent is set to be the last country out, as other allied nations have reportedly finished their evacuation procedures. Officials in Washington say that since Aug. 14, around 111,900 people have been evacuated by U.S. forces, as per CNBC. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Aug. 26 that there are still an estimated 500 Americans seeking evacuation.
This alleged failed attack comes following a prior attack on Aug. 26 by ISIS-K that news sources have reported killed at least 180 people, including 13 American servicemen. Reuters reported that this is the second drone strike that the U.S. has conducted since the Aug. 26 attack. U.S. Central Command confirmed the strike, saying that there were no reported civilian casualties, but that they are currently investigating.
“U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Capt. Bill Urban wrote in a statement, CNBC reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Aug. 28 stated that the situation in Kabul remains extremely dangerous, and that his military leaders had informed him that an attack was “highly likely” within the next 24-36 hours. The U.S. State Department echoed the president’s warnings, saying that the threats are “specific” and “credible,” BBC reported.
“This strike was not the last,” Biden said in a statement on Aug. 28, a day after the drone strike that struck targets in eastern Afghanistan.
