US drone strike kills ISKP planner in Afghanistan
Kabul: An American drone strike has killed a “planner” of the ISIL-affiliated group in eastern Afghanistan, a day after an attack outside Kabul’s airport that killed at least 175 Afghans and 13 US troops.
“Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties,” a US military statement said late on Friday.
United States (US) President Joe Biden promised to retaliate for the suicide blasts in Kabul, confirming the bombings were carried out by ISKP.
“We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command,” he said.
Since Thursday’s blast that left dozens dead, the US drone strike is the first reported attack in Afghanistan.
Capt Bill Urban of Central Command said: "The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties."
Dozens of Afghans trying to leave the country were killed. In addition to the US personnel killed, two British nationals and the child of a British national were among the dead.
Most of IS-K's several thousand extremists are believed to be in hiding in the province, east of Kabul.
Courtesy: Al-Jazeera
