Afghanistan: US drone strike hits Isis attacker in Kabul, as evacuations enter final phase

The US strike took place while about 1,000 civilians waited at the airport to be flown out before the last troops leave, a security official said

Meanwhile, the US and 97 other countries said they would continue to take in those fleeing Afghanistan even after American troops have left

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Smoke billows following an explosion near the Kabul airport on August 29, 2021. Photo: epa

Published: 1:39pm, 29 Aug 2021Updated: 12:18pm, 30 Aug 2021

American forces launched a drone strike in Afghanistan on Sunday targeting a suicide bomber in a vehicle who was aiming to attack Kabul airport, US officials said, as the United States nears the end of its military presence in the city.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the strike targeted suspected Isis-K militants, a group that is an enemy of both the West and the Taliban and was responsible for a suicide bomb attack outside the airport gates on Thursday.

The bombing by Isis-K, a local branch of Islamic State, killed at least 90 Afghans and 13 American troops as a huge evacuation operation was under way following the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul on August 15.

The US officials said they were citing initial information and cautioned it could change.

Television footage showed black smoke rising into the sky but there was no immediate word on any casualties.

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

The US strike took place while about 1,000 civilians waited at the airport to be flown out before the last troops leave, a Western security official told Reuters.