The American response to the bloody attack on Kabul airport is not long in coming. After presenting himself in front of the cameras in tears and assuring that those responsible for the attack would pay for it, President Joe Biden authorized a raid in Afghanistan, in the Nagahar region, during which one of the minds of the ‘Isis-K planning future attacks.
The identity of the militant was not disclosed: the Pentagon called him a “planner” of the organization. According to rumors, the man was plotting future attacks but was not directly involved in the attack in Kabul. “We believe this terrorist was involved in planning future attacks in Kabul,” reports an administration official quoted by the American media.
The man would have been under observation since before the attack and American personnel would have waited until he was alone before launching the attack with the drone. The American Reaper, who departed from a base in the Middle East, allegedly hit him while he was aboard a vehicle.
«The American armed forces conducted an anti-terrorism operation against one of the organizers of Isis-K. The raid took place in the Nangahar province of Afghanistan. Preliminary indications indicate that the target was killed. We are not aware of civilian casualties, ”reads a note by Bill Urban, spokesman for Central Command. The order to strike was given by the Minister of Defense, Lloyd Austin. It is not clear if the raid is an isolated case or if it is the first of a series in response to the attack in Kabul, during which nearly 200 people lost their lives, including 13 American soldiers.
The targeted American action follows the new alert launched by the US embassy in Kabul, which urged Americans not to go to the airport. In fact, in the early hours of today all US citizens were told to immediately move away from the accesses called Abbey gate, East gate and North gate. The indication to avoid going to the airport was also confirmed. Those who are already near the airport were asked to leave it immediately in light of the security threats.
In fact, the US authorities believe that new attacks are likely in the last few days before 31 August. A deadline that is approaching and that makes evacuation from the Asian country increasingly urgent. In the last 12 hours 4,200 people have been evacuated from Kabul, the White House reports, underlining that 109,200 people have been evacuated since August 14, while since the end of July 114,800 have been evacuated.
The State Department reported being in contact with about 500 Americans in Afghanistan who are asking for assistance in evacuating. After the attack on Kabul airport, Joe Biden had assured the United States would prosecute those responsible: “We will pick you up and make you pay,” he said with tears in his eyes, recalling the words of former President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki was even more explicit than the president: Biden “doesn’t want” those responsible “to live on Earth anymore.”