President Biden returns a salute as he and first lady Jill Biden arrive at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. Biden embarked on a solemn journey Sunday to honor and mourn the 13 U.S. troops killed in the suicide attack near the Kabul airport as their remains return to U.S. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The U.S. has carried out a second strike against suspected members of ISIS-K in Afghanistan, following the Thursday attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed more than 170 people, including 13 U.S. service members.
A military official confirmed the strike to NPR on Sunday, saying it was conducted to eliminate an "imminent" threat to the airport. President Biden had warned Saturday of continued danger to U.S. operations in Afghanistan as evacuations there continue ahead of the planned U.S. withdrawal deadline of Aug. 31.
"U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to [Hamid] Karzai International airport," said Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
"We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material," according to Urban. "We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time."
CNN reported on Sunday that nine members of a family were killed in the U.S. strike, including six children, according to a relative. A neighbor told The Associated Press that he collected bodies of children.
The U.S. Central Command acknowledged later on Sunday that it was aware of reports of civilian casualties and would be "deeply saddened" if the U.S. airstrike had killed innocent civilians.
On Friday, the U.S. conducted a drone strike in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Pentagon officials said Saturday that "a planner and a facilitator" of ISIS-K were killed in that strike, with one other person injured.
Evacuations are continuing from Afghanistan
The latest strike comes as President Biden and the first lady traveled Sunday to Dover, Del. to observe the "dignified transfer" of the remains of the 13 service members killed in Kabul last week. Biden also met with the families of the service members who were killed.
The situation in Afghanistan has intensified since Thursday's attack at the airport in Kabul. Evacuations have continued, with a White House official saying more than 114,400 people have been evacuated since Aug. 14 — a day before the Taliban took control of Kabul and, effectively, Afghanistan. Around 5,500 Americans are among those who have been evacuated, according to a State Department spokesperson.
The State Department said Sunday that some 250 Americans are still trying to make their way out of Afghanistan. Officials say another 280 self-identified Americans are undecided about leaving Afghanistan or have said they wish to stay.
Nearly 100 nations say they have assurances from the Taliban
Also Sunday, the U.S. joined 97 other countries in pledging to accept Afghan evacuees after the U.S. military completes its withdrawal.
"We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorization from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country," according to the State Department.
Absent from the list of countries that signed on to the statement were Russia and China, who have both pledged to help the Taliban rebuild Afghanistan, according to The Sunday Times of the UK.
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Kabul Airport Attack Updates: US Carries Out 2nd Strike Against ISIS-K - NPR
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