U.S. military forces conducted a drone strike against an Islamic State member on Saturday in Afghanistan, less than 48 hours after a suicide bombing by the group at the Kabul airport killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 American service members.
“U.S. military forces 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,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Captain Bill Urban told Fox News.
The drone strike hit a vehicle carrying an ISIS-K leader who was believed to be “carrying out future attacks,” a U.S. official reportedly told the outlet.
The ISIS-K leader was in a car with an Islamic State associate, according to Reuters. An official told the outlet that both are believed to have been killed.
The air strike came one day after President Biden threatened the perpetrators of the deadly attack saying, “We will hunt you down and make you pay.”