US claims killing ISIS ‘organizer’ in Afghanistan

Published on : 08/28/2021 – 04:29

The US military announced on Friday August 27 that it had carried out a drone strike against an “organizer” of the Islamic State in Khorasan (OEI-K), the group that claimed responsibility for the deadly attack at Kabul airport.

“The unmanned airstrike occurred in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Early indications are that we killed the target,” Major Bill Urban of the central command said in a statement, saying he was unaware. of no civilian victims “.

At the same time on Friday, the United States Embassy in Kabul called on American nationals to leave the vicinity of the airport “immediately” in a security alert.

Security threats at the airport

“US citizens currently at Abbey Gate, East Gate, North Gate or New Ministry of Interior Gate should leave immediately,” the embassy said on its website. The day before Thursday’s attack, a similar alert was issued.

“Due to security threats at Kabul airport, we continue to advise US citizens to avoid going to the airport and to avoid the airport gates,” the embassy recalled.

Earlier on Friday, US military spokesman John Kirby said the Kabul airport evacuation mission still faced “specific and credible threats.”

France ends its evacuations

For its part, France has put an end to Operation Apagan in Afghanistan, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, announced on Friday in a press release. “The rapid disengagement of the American forces in charge of the security of the Kabul airport being confirmed in the short term and the security conditions no longer being met at the airport, our evacuation operations ended on Friday August 27. “, can we read.

Operation Apagan was launched on August 15 at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron, after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. “In less than two weeks, the French soldiers have brought to safety nearly 3,000 people, including more than 2,600 Afghans who have been welcomed in France,” Florence Parly wrote on Twitter.

France has announced that it will continue its work to protect people at risk in Afghanistan after August 31. “We will continue our efforts with Taliban officials to ensure that they will not put any hindrance after August 31 to the departure of those who wish,” the statement concluded.

A plane carrying 59 people evacuated from the airport in Kabul, the Afghan capital, was due to arrive in Paris overnight.

With AFP and Reuters