Central Command said Friday night that the U.S. had conducted a drone strike against ISIS-K in response to the Islamist terrorist group’s suicide bomber attack at the Kabul airport Thursday that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghans. Around the same time Friday night, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul posted a new warning of a threat of another terror attack at the airport and warned and warned U.S. citizens to “immediately” leave the gates.
“[email protected] spox: US military “conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner. The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangahar Province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties.”
.@CENTCOM spox: US military “conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner. The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangahar Province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 28, 2021
The Kabul Embassy warning posted Friday night:
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Kabul (August 27, 2021)
Event: Because of security threats at the Kabul airport, we continue to advise U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates.U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey gate, East gate, North gate or the New Ministry of Interior gate now should leave immediately.
Actions to take:
Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially in large crowds.
Follow the instructions of local authorities including movement restrictions related to curfews.
Have a contingency plan for emergencies and review the Traveler’s Checklist.
Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
By U.S. Embassy in Kabul | 28 August, 2021 | Topics: Alert, Notification
A BBC World Service reporter reported the situation in Kabul Friday night, stating the threat is a larger attack by ISIS on the airport than the one on Thursday:
“The situation: •Several busses carrying Afghan visa/permit holders, were denied access to the airport by the Taliban •US citizens were warned by the Sate Dept to avoid all Kabul Airport gates •Multiple intel reports that IS is planning to carry a bigger attack on the Airport”
The situation:
•Several busses carrying Afghan visa/permit holders, were denied access to the airport by the Taliban
•US citizens were warned by the Sate Dept to avoid all Kabul Airport gates
•Multiple intel reports that IS is planning to carry a bigger attack on the Airport— Nafiseh Kohnavard (@nafisehkBBC) August 28, 2021
UPDATE via Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson, “U.S. Reaper drone flew to Afghanistan from a base in the Middle East a few hours ago to kill the ISIS-K ‘planner’ who was plotting ‘future attacks’ on U.S. forces in Kabul. The ISIS-K planner was killed while driving in a vehicle along with an ‘associate,’ official says.”
U.S. intelligence believes ISIS-K wants to carry out additional suicide attacks against U.S. forces ahead of their departure in the coming days. 5,000 American troops remain at the Kabul airport.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) August 28, 2021