Afghanistan: United States carried out drone strike against ISIS "organizer"

Europe 1 with AFP 6:26 a.m., August 28, 2021

The US military announced on Friday that it had carried out a drone strike against an ISIS "organizer" in Khorasan (EI-K), the first official operation since the attack at Kabul airport against this group which l 'claimed.

"The unmanned airstrike occurred in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Early indications are that we killed the target," Major Bill Urban of the central command said in a statement.

"There were no civilian casualties"

"To our knowledge, there were no civilian casualties," he added, announcing this first strike by the US army since the attack on Thursday at Kabul airport.

The strike, launched from outside Afghanistan, came as evacuations continue at Kabul airport, which is under close surveillance.

The United States Embassy in Kabul also asked American nationals on Friday to leave the vicinity of the airport "immediately" in a security alert.

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At least 85 people have died, including 13 American soldiers, in a suicide bombing by a suicide bomber outside one of the airport gates.

According to US officials, gunmen opened fire after the explosion, adding to the carnage.

The attack was claimed by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group.

Joe Biden had promised retaliation

After the attack, President Joe Biden promised retaliation.

“We will hunt you down and we will make you pay,” he told the perpetrators of the deadliest attack on the US military in Afghanistan since 2011. “We will respond with force and precision when we do. decide, where and when we choose it, ”he added during a speech at the White House.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that the Kabul airport evacuation mission, which is supposed to end on August 31, still faces "specific and credible threats."