US carried out military strike in Kabul, officials say

The United States carried out a military strike on Sunday in Kabul, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strike targeted suspected ISIS-K militants. They said they were citing initial information and cautioned it could change.

Witnesses reported an explosion near Kabul airport and television footage showed black smoke rising into the sky. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Two witnesses said the blast appeared to have been caused by a rocket that struck a house in an area to the northern side of the airport, but there was no immediate confirmation.

U.S. forces were in the final phase of pulling out of Kabul, ending two decades of costly involvement in Afghanistan, as the country’s new Taliban rulers prepared to take control of the airport.

More than 100 people died in the attack, including 13 US service personnel, slowing down the airlift ahead of Biden’s deadline for evacuations to end by Tuesday.

U.S. Central Command said on Friday the overnight drone strike took place in Nangarhar province, east of Kabul.

Up to 170 people, not including the U.S. troops, were killed in the bombing, according to U.S. media including the New York Times, citing health officials.

The White House said the next few days were likely to be the most dangerous of the U.S. evacuation operation that the Pentagon said has taken about 111,000 people out of Afghanistan in the past two weeks

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the United States believed there were still “specific, credible” threats against the airport after the bombing at one of its gates.