The U.S. military is actively hunting terrorists connected to the deadly attack in Kabul this week and expects to carry out additional airstrikes in the coming days and weeks, according to U.S. officials.
President Joe Biden has given the Pentagon the “green light” to strike any targets affiliated with the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan, ISIS-K, the group responsible for the attack, without seeking White House approval, according to three U.S. officials with knowledge of the operation.
Senior Pentagon leaders already had this authority, but Biden reaffirmed it in instructions to the military on Friday, one of the officials said.
The president’s “guidance is to just do it,” the person said. “If we find more, we will strike them.”
The news comes hours after the military carried out a drone strike on an ISIS-K target in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan believed to be involved in planning attacks in Kabul. The strike was in response to Thursday’s deadly suicide bombing just outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members and many more Afghans as troops continued to carry out a massive evacuation airport.
The airstrike, which was carried out by a drone based outside the country, is believed to have killed the target, who was involved in running weapons and bombs into Kabul, and an ISIS-K associate, two of the officials said.
The target was “in the network,” and the military is confident that they will be able to find additional collaborators, the first official said.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Central Command confirmed that the target was killed along with another ISIS-K associate but declined to provide additional details.
“We are looking,” the first official said. “When you get one, they get sloppy, and that lets you find others.”
The president does not need to personally approve each subsequent strike, the officials said.
A National Security Council spokesperson pointed to Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor's comments at the Pentagon on Friday that “we have resources and capabilities to execute any type of operation as required.”
"do it" - Google News
August 28, 2021 at 09:16PM
https://ift.tt/38nL3Bo
‘Guidance is to just do it:’ Military expects additional retaliatory strikes on ISIS-K - POLITICO
"do it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2zLpFrJ
https://ift.tt/3feNbO7
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "‘Guidance is to just do it:’ Military expects additional retaliatory strikes on ISIS-K - POLITICO"
Post a Comment