US strikes Daesh in Afghanistan after deadly Kabul airport attack

Washington - "Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," a military statement says

The United States launched a drone strike against a Daesh attack "planner" in eastern Afghanistan, the military said on Friday, a day after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians.

President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday that the United States would hunt down those responsible for the attack, saying he had ordered the Pentagon to come up with plans to strike at the perpetrators.

US Central Command said the strike took place in Nangarhar province, east of Kabul and bordering Pakistan.

"Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," a US military statement said. It did not say whether the target was connected with the airport attack.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strike was against a Daesh militant planning future attacks.

A reaper drone, which took off from the Middle East, struck the militant while he was in a car with a Daesh associate, the official said. Both are believed to have been killed, the official added.

Daesh Khorasan (Daesh-K), an affiliate of militants who previously battled US forces in Syria and Iraq, said it had carried out Thursday's attack, which killed dozens of people - including Afghans who were trying to leave the country.

In addition to the 13 US troops killed, 18 injured were flown to Germany.

Late on Friday, the US Embassy warned that Americans should avoid travelling to the airport because of security threats, and those at the Abbey, East, North or Ministry of Interior gates should leave immediately.