A United States airstrike on Sunday targetted a vehicle carrying "multiple suicide bombers" from ISIS-K before they could target the ongoing American military evacuation at Kabul's international airport, reports said.
"The United States carried out a drone strike against a vehicle threatening the Kabul airport that had been linked to the regional Islamic State chapter," an American military official told news agency AFP.
U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Capt. Bill Urban wrote in a statement: “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.”
“We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material,” he added.
Meanwhile, minutes before the US military strike, a rocket strike on a house near the Kabul airport was reported. In this incident, a child had died and two others were injured.
The two strikes at present appear to be separate incidents, though information on both remain scarce.
The attack comes two days after devastating twin blasts killed nearly 200 people, including 13 US servicemen, outside the Kabul airport. This comes as the US is on the verge of completing its exit from Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden had on Saturday (local time) said that another terrorist attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport is "highly likely in the next 24-36 hours." Moreover, US Embassy in Kabul had also issued a security alert for the same.
"Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours," Biden said in his statement. "I directed them to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground," Biden said.
