The United States military struck back at the Islamic State on Saturday, bombing an IS member in Afghanistan less than 48 hours after a devastating suicide bombing claimed by the group killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at the Kabul airport.
An alleged attack planner belonging to the “Islamic State” Khorasan group (IS-K) was killed by a US drone strike in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said in a statement late Friday. The strike came amid what the White House called indications that the IS planned to strike again as the US-led evacuation from Kabul airport moved into its final days. U.S. Central Command provided few details; it said it believed its strike killed no civilians. The strike targeted the suspected IS-K member in the eastern Afghan province of Nangahar. It’s unclear if the suspect played a role in the deadly Kabul airport bombing earlier this week. “Initial indications are that we killed the target,” the US Central Command spokesperson Bill Urban said. “We know of no civilian casualties.” It comes after US President Joe Biden vowed to strike back against IS-K after the attack. The bombing at Kabul airport earlier this week killed at least 13 US soldiers and as many as 169 Afghans. IS-K has claimed responsibility for the attack, while the Taliban has denied involvement.
