Afghanistan: Pres. Joe Biden Vows to Hunt Down Those Responsible for Kabul Attacks That Killed 13 U.S. Service Members
President Joe Biden on Thursday promised to locate the group responsible for the attacks outside the airport in the capital of Afghanistan that killed at least 13 U.S. service members.
During his remarks in the White House, Joe Biden said the ones responsible for the attacks outside Kabul airport on Thursday were the fighters from the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS Khorasan or ISIS-K.
The president then vowed to retaliate against those who carried out the attacks.
"We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests in our people with every measure at my command," Biden said.
The Pentagon noted that a suicide bomber detonated an explosion in a crowd waiting near the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Since Kabul fell to the Taliban, thousands of people have gathered every day at the airport's gates, desperate to board flights out of Afghanistan. The Pentagon also confirmed that another explosion struck the nearby Baron Hotel.
Despite the incident, Joe Biden noted that the U.S. would continue the process of withdrawing from the capital. He said the U.S. would not be intimidated by the recent attacks.
13 U.S. Troops, 60 Afghans Killed Outside Kabul Airport Attacks
Al Jazeera reported that initially, officials said there were only 12 U.S. troops killed in the explosions. However, the U.S. Department of Defense later announced that one more U.S. troop member died. The number of injured U.S. troops in the blasts was at least 18.
Reports also revealed that at least 60 Afghans were also killed. An Afghan official said the tally was expected to climb. As of Thursday evening, the total death toll stood at 90, with 150 more wounded.
Meanwhile, another explosion was reported to be heard. However, a Taliban spokesperson said the third explosion was from the U.S. military destroying ammunitions, Al Jazeera reported.
Another Taliban spokesman condemned the tragic incident outside the Kabul airport. He said the group would bring the "culprits to justice."
CBS News reported that the attacks marked one of the single deadliest days for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the 20 years since the allied invasion.
Attacks Outside Kabul Airport: What is the ISIS-K?
USA Today reported that the "K" in the ISIS-K name of the terrorist group means "Khorasan," the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The group was known to be notorious for the attacks they commenced in the past. On May 8, the ISIS-K was known to attack an all-girls school in Kabul that killed at least 68 people and injured at least 165.
Most of the attacks that were the most heartless ones, like against hospitals and the maternity ward, were all ISIS-K," former CIA counter-terrorism chief Douglas London said.
According to the White House, the U.S. has helped more than 100,000 people leave Afghanistan since August 14.
This article is owned by Latin Post
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Biden Addresses ISIS-K Attacks Outside Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan - From CNBC Television
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