Joe Biden Afghanistan crisis: POTUS vows new drone strikes following Kabul bombing

Over 100,000 Afghans and Americans have already been flown out of Afghanistan over the course of the evacuation by the US. Following last week’s suicide bombing in Kabul airport, US President Joe Biden warned that the drone strikes ordered over the weekend would not be the last response from the US.

During the weekend, Biden released a statement regarding the Kabul bombing last week that killed 13 US troops along with dozens of Afghans. It comes as the US is nearing the end of its evacuation efforts in the country. Thousands of Afghans have looked to flee following the resurgence of the Taliban in the country, successfully taking over the Afghan government.

In response to the bombing, Biden ordered a drone strike to be carried out, targeting the Islamist militant group. The Pentagon later revealed that the strike killed two planners and facilitators involved in the suicide bombing. However, Biden warned that the US is determined to look for those who have been involved in the attack.

“We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay,” said Biden in the statement released Saturday. “Whenever anyone seeks to harm the United States or attack our troops, we will respond. That will never be in doubt.”

Following the bombing that occurred Thursday, anti-war groups, including lawmakers like Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs, called for the US to refrain from taking any further military action in Afghanistan as the 20-year conflict is coming to an end. CODEPINK’s Ariel Gold also argued after the drone strike ordered by Biden, even if there were no civilians that were killed, the strikes would actually work in ISIS’s favor as it would help the militant group recruit more people.

Details of the drone strike that Biden ordered last week had also surfaced, including what was used to kill key targets of the extremist group that has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Kabul. The Wall Street Journal reported that two US officials revealed that the US used a weapon referred to as “the flying Ginsu” or “ninja bomb” in its drone strikes against ISIS.