Afghan Official: US Drone Strike in Kabul Kills Three Children

The US military said the strike 'successfully hit' the right target

The US launched a drone strike in Kabul on Sunday, and an Afghan official told The Associated Press that the strike killed three children.

Initially, a separate rocket attack that killed civilians was reported, but it turns out the US drone strike was the only blast in Kabul. Witnesses cited by AP said the US drone strike targeted two cars parked in a residential building near the airport, killing and wounding several civilians.

The US claims the strike destroyed a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from Afghanistan’s ISIS affiliate, known as ISIS-K. Earlier, Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesperson for US Central Command, confirmed the drone strike and said the US is investigating if there were civilian casualties. “We are confident we successfully hit the target,” he said.

The US drone strike comes a few days after Thursday’s suicide attack claimed by ISIS killed at least 175 people, including 28 Taliban members and 13 US troops. Early Saturday, the US launched a drone strike in Nangahar province that the Pentagon claims killed two “ISIS-K planners.”

President Biden has vowed that airstrikes against ISIS-K would continue, so the US will likely continue to bomb Afghanistan as it wraps up the evacuation and withdrawal. The Pentagon said Saturday that it has begun withdrawing troops, which needs to be completed by the approaching August 31st deadline.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.