US retaliates for Kabul attack, hits ISIS “planner” in E. Afghanistan

An Islamic State-K “planner” was Friday night targeted by a US drone in the Nangahar province of eastern Afghanistan, in reprisal for the devastating Kabul airport bombings 48 hours earlier that claimed the lives of 169 Afghans and 13 American servicemen. The US Central Command said one terrorist was killed. Biden authorized the drone strike after vowing to hunt down those responsible for the airport attack. Two US defense officials disclosed that an MQ-9 Reaper drone hit the target who was riding in a vehicle with an associate at the time of the strike.

US citizens were meanwhile advised to avoid the airport’s four gates on Saturday over a new terror threat.

The US has evacuated about 109,000 people since Aug. 14. The operation continues in a race against the Aug. 21 deadline.