President Joe Biden warned that the scenario in Kabul, Afghanistan, stays “extraordinarily harmful” amid the specter of terrorism, including that high army commanders knowledgeable him Saturday morning {that a} second assault there’s “extremely doubtless within the subsequent 24-36 hours.”
Biden stated he directed discipline commanders to “take each potential measure to prioritize power safety” within the occasion of a second assault following Thursday’s explosion that killed 13 U.S. service members and injured one other 18.
“They assured me that they did and that they may take these measures whereas finishing the mission and safely retrograding our personnel,” he stated in a press release.
PENTAGON SAYS TALIBAN AND HAQQANI ‘COMMINGLING’ AS STATE DEPARTMENT DEFENDS CALLING THEM ‘SEPARATE ENTITIES’
Biden’s warning was given hours after Pentagon spokesman John Kirby cautioned that the specter of terrorism stays “energetic” and “dynamic.”
The Islamic State claimed duty for a suicide bombing that killed roughly 170 individuals Thursday exterior Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport in Kabul. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby at first confirmed experiences of a second explosion on the Baron Resort close to the airport’s Abbey Gate, however officers then walked again that assertion on Friday, saying just one explosion occurred on the gate at roughly 5 p.m. native time Thursday.
The USA responded to the assault by initiating an airstrike towards ISIS-Okay targets in Afghanistan , which the Pentagon first introduced late Friday. The strike killed two and wounded one, officers stated Saturday, including that the people wouldn’t be named.
Biden acknowledged the airstrike in his Saturday assertion and stated he stayed true to his phrase, having promised on Thursday to seek out the assault’s perpetrators.
“I stated we might go after the group accountable for the assault on our troops and harmless civilians in Kabul, and we have now,” the president stated. “This strike was not the final.”
Kirby additionally praised the mission as successful however stated officers do not consider it “will get us into the clear.”
“We aren’t pondering for a minute that what occurred yesterday will get us into clear … however can we consider that we hit legitimate targets, dangerous guys who can do dangerous issues and may plan dangerous missions,” the Pentagon spokesman stated Saturday.
On Saturday, the Pentagon recognized the 13 service members who had been killed within the airport assault. Eleven Marines, together with a Navy hospitalman and an Military Particular Forces workers sergeant, died from the suicide blast.
“The 13 service members that we misplaced had been heroes who made the final word sacrifice in service of our highest American beliefs and whereas saving the lives of others,” Biden stated Saturday. “Their bravery and selflessness has enabled greater than 117,000 individuals in danger to achieve security to this point.”
Roughly 117,500 individuals have been relocated out of Afghanistan because the finish of July, in keeping with the Pentagon. Some 6,800 individuals had been evacuated from Kabul between 3 a.m. EDT on Friday and the identical time the subsequent day.
As of Saturday, the variety of U.S. residents who’ve been evacuated from Afghanistan since Aug. 14 stands at 5,400, whereas about 350 extra are attempting to depart the nation, a State Division spokesperson stated.
