The action was carried out in fulfillment of the promise that President Joe Biden made to the nation on Thursday when he said that the perpetrators of the attack would not be able to hide. The US Embassy in Afghanistan issued a new alert for “security threats”
The US military struck back at the Islamic State on Saturday, bombing one of its members in Afghanistan less than 48 hours after a devastating suicide bombing claimed by the group killed 169 Afghans and 13 US servicemen at Kabul Airport.
The US Central Command said it carried out a drone strike against a member of the Islamic State in Nangahar who is believed to be involved in planning attacks in Kabul. The attack killed one person and the spokesman, Navy Capt. William Urban said they knew of no civilian casualties.
The airstrike fulfilled a promise President Joe Biden made to the nation on Thursday when he said the perpetrators of the attack would not be able to hide. “ We will hunt you down and make you pay,” he said. Pentagon leaders told reporters Friday that they were prepared for any retaliatory action ordered by the president.
The attack, launched from outside Afghanistan, came as the airlift of evacuees from Kabul airport remained under heavily reinforced security after Thursday’s attack.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Kabul issued a security alert urging its citizens to “immediately” leave the airport gates.
“American citizens who are at the Abbey gate, the east gate, the north gate or the door of the New Home Office must now leave immediately.” the US embassy in Kabul said in a security alert.
“Due to security threats at the Kabul airport, we continue to advise American citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and avoid the airport gates,” the embassy said.
The alert did not elaborate on what the security threats could be.
Following Thursday’s attack, US President Joe Biden promised retaliation. “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt them down and make them pay, ”he said.
On Friday afternoon, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby warned that the group allegedly planned to attack the airlift again.
Meanwhile, the United States and its allies are rushing to evacuate as many people as possible from Afghanistan before the August 31 deadline amid deteriorating security from the Kabul airport bombing.
The countries that have completed their evacuation processes so far are Canada, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Australia.
Great Britain, France, and Italy are in the final stage and plan to finish this Saturday.