The Pentagon announced Friday night a drone strike was launched against an ISIS-Khorasan "planner" and an associate in eastern Afghanistan. The strike was in response to the terrorist group's suicide bombing outside of the Kabul airport Thursday, which killed 13 U.S. service members and wounded 20 more. More than 80 Afghans desperately trying to escape the Taliban were also killed.
"U.S. military forces conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner. The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangahar Province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," U.S. Central Command released in a statement.
The individuals behind Thursday’s bombing remain at-large.BREAKING: U.S. forces conducted a drone strike against an 'ISIS-K planner' in Nangahar Province in eastern Afghanistan. "Initial indications are that we killed the target," Pentagon says
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) August 28, 2021
A Centcom Reaper drone attack targeted the vehicle the ISIS-K planner traveled in, an official told us. The person was suspected of planning future attacks but wasn't linked to yesterday at the Abbey Gate
— Anthony Capaccio (@ACapaccio) August 28, 2021
During remarks at the White House Thursday, President Joe Biden warned there would be retaliation for attacks on U.S. troops.
The Pentagon has not released the names of U.S. service members killed on Thursday as families continue to be notified. Some families who have already received the news have released the names of those who were killed. So far, they include:
Navy hospital corpsman Maxton Soviak, 22
Army solider Ryan Knauss, 23
Marine Kareem Nikoui, 20
Marine David Lee Espinoza, 20
Marine Rylee McCollum, 20
Marine Jared Schmitz, 20
Marine Hunter Lopez, 22
Marine Daegan Page, 23
Marine Darin Taylor Hoover Jr., 31