Two 'high-profile ISIS targets' killed in US airstrike in Afghanistan: Pentagon

Pentagon on Saturday informed that two "high-profile ISIS targets" were killed during an airstrike in Afghanistan on Friday.

"I can confirm, as more information has come in, that two high-profile ISIS targets were killed, and one was wounded. And we know of zero civilian casualties," said US Maj Gen Hank Taylor, deputy director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations.

"Without specifying any future plans, I will say that we will continue to have the ability to defend ourselves and to leverage over the horizon capability to conduct counterterrorism operations as needed," Taylor said during a presser.

Speaking at the same briefing, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said threats to the airport in Kabul are "still very real" and "very dynamic."

"We are monitoring them literally in real-time," said Kirby. "We're taking all the means necessary to make sure we remain focused on that threat stream, and doing what we can for force protection."

According to US media reports, the ISIS-Khorasan planner of the Kabul blast, who was targeted in the US drone strike, was found in a compound in the Jalalabad area.

According to CNN, the individual who was targeted was known to the US but new intelligence following the Kabul attack was firmed up to give justification to target him.

"The source said surveillance continued on the compound until the target's wife and children left and then the US conducted the targeted drone strike," the report said, citing a US defence official.

An ISIS-Khorasan planner was killed in a "counterterrorism" operation conducted by US military forces in the Nangahar province, a day after a terror attack in Kabul killed hundreds of people including 13 US troops.

In a statement, US Central Command said US forces conducted the "over-the-horizon" operation on Friday targeting the ISIS-K planner and the initial indication was that they "killed the target".

"US military forces conducted an over the horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner the unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangahat province of Afghanistan. The initial indication is that we killed the target," Navy Capt. Bill Urban said.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber and multiple ISIS-K gunmen killed 13 US service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians in the attack at the Kabul airport.

ISKP on Thursday claimed responsibility for the blast. US President on Thursday vowed to retaliate for a terrorists attack, saying, "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay".

( With inputs from ANI )