Credit: Kyodo News/Sipa USA
Afghanistan: Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (77WABC/AP) — The U.S. says a drone struck a vehicle carrying at least one suicide bomber from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate before they could target the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s international airport.
U.S. Central Command statement on defensive strike in Kabulhttps://t.co/fHscnX41ge
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 29, 2021
“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,” said Central Command Spokesman Capt. Bill Urban in a statement. “We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material.”
“We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time. We remain vigilant for potential future threats,” he added.
There were few initial details about the incident, as well as a rocket that struck a neighborhood just northwest of the airport, killing a child. The Taliban initially described the two strikes as separate incidents, though information on both remained scarce and witnesses heard only one large blast Sunday in the Afghan capital.
The airstrike came as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul’s airport since the Taliban took over the country two weeks ago.
U.S. military cargo planes continued their runs into the airport Sunday, ahead of a Tuesday deadline earlier set by President Joe Biden to withdraw all troops from America’s longest war.
