US military uses drone strike to kill Islamic State member in Afghanistan

Acting swiftly on US President Joe Biden’s promise to retaliate for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport, the US military said it used a drone strike to kill a member of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate this morning. The strike came amid what the White House called indications that IS planned to strike again as the US-led evacuation from Kabul airport moved into its final days.

Biden has set Tuesday as his deadline for completing the exit. He authorized the drone strike and it was ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a defense official said. The airstrike was launched from beyond Afghanistan less than 48



hours after the devastating Kabul attack that killed 13 Americans and scores of Afghans with just days left in a final US withdrawal after 20 years of war. US Central Command provided few details as it said it believed its strike killed no civilians.

Central Command said the drone strike was conducted in Nangahar province against an IS member believed to be involved in planning attacks against the United States in Kabul. The strike killed one individual, spokesman Navy Capt. William Urban said. The airstrike came after Biden declared Thursday that perpetrators of the attack would not be able to hide.