According to top US generals, the ISIS terrorist group was behind the bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday.
“The threat from ISIS is very real. We’ve been discussing this for a few days. CENTCOM commander Kenneth McKenzie told reporters in a briefing.
“We believe it is their desire to continue these attacks, we hope they will continue and we are doing everything we can to prepare for them,” he said. Added.
US officials warned this week about a possible ISIS attack, including a briefing with Congress.
According to Mackenzie, military officials continue to coordinate with the Taliban, including telling them that terrorist groups expect to do “to protect us.” It involves pushing the Taliban to expand the ground they are patrolling outside the airport.
There are no signs that the Taliban were involved in or caused the attack, according to US officials.
President Joe Biden recently vowed that any action against the US military would trigger a swift response. Asked about it, Mackenzie said it relied on finding the people behind the attack.
“If we can find someone involved in this, we will chase them. We have made it much clearer that we retain the right to act against ISIS in Afghanistan, and we We are currently working very hard to determine attribution and who is involved in this timid attack, and we are ready to take action on them. 24/7. I’m looking for them in, “he said.
Two or more explosions just outside the airport on Thursday killed 12 US troops and injured 15 others. One departed at Abbey Gate, at the entrance guarded by the US military, and at least the other departed nearby.
The exact situation of the attack is under investigation, but a preliminary understanding is the suicide bomber who arrived at the gate before launching the bomb.
The US military is at the gate to scrutinize those who are trying to pass through. The review includes checking for bombs and other weapons.
“There is no substitute for young men or women, young American men or women. We are standing there and searching for that person before we allow them,” Mackenzie said.
Before the first bomb exploded, 104,000 people passed through the gate.
The Taliban check people at their checkpoints before letting them pass, but sometimes their search is not exhaustive.
When the Taliban took over the country, the United States began managing the airport. It is the only ground that the US military controls before their planned withdrawal.
“Currently, our focus is really moving forward, preventing another attack of this kind from happening, because, as you know, patterns are usually multiple attacks,” McKenzie said. I am.
According to the White House, Biden was briefed on the attack. Neither he nor other White House officials have spoken publicly since the bombing.
Zachary Stieber covers US news, including politics and proceedings. He started in The Epoch Times as a metro reporter for New York City.