File: Afghans who cannot get into the airport to evacuate watch as a military transport plane takes off from the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 23, 2021. /CFP
U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that U.S. military forces carried out an airstrike in Kabul against a suspected ISIS-K vehicle, which could pose an imminent threat to the airport.
"U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS threat" to Hamid Karzai International airport, U.S. Central Command Spokesman Bill Urban said in a statement, referring to a local affiliate of the Islamic State in Afghanistan.
"We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material," Urban said.
"We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time. We remain vigilant for potential future threats," said the spokesman.
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The airstrike came after U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Saturday that another terror attack against Kabul airport could be "highly likely in the next 24-36 hours."
It was the second U.S. military strike in Afghanistan since a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport on Thursday killed 13 U.S. service members and some 170 Afghans. ISIS-K had claimed responsibility for the attack.
In retaliation for the deadly attack, the U.S. military on Friday launched a drone strike against the terror group in Nangarhar province of eastern Afghanistan, which killed two "high-profile" members and wounded another, according to the Pentagon.
The United States has been scrambling to evacuate Americans and its Afghan partners from the country since the Taliban retook Kabul on August 15. The White House said on Saturday that around 111,900 people had left Afghanistan since August 14.
The U.S. and its allies are winding up their operations to airlift civilians, diplomats and troops out of Afghanistan. Dozens of planes, including military planes, took off from the airport since late Saturday as the August 31 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal is approaching.
(With input from Xinhua, AFP)