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world news Dialuna 30 augustus 2021

US says drone kills IS bombers targeting Kabul airport

(AP) — A U.S. drone strike blew hicle carried multiple bombers.
up a vehicle carrying “multiple U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a mili-
suicide bombers” from Afghani- tary spokesman, said the strike was
stan’s Islamic State affiliate on carried out in “self-defense.” He said
Sunday before they could attack the military was investigating wheth-
the ongoing military evacuation er there were civilian casualties but
at Kabul’s international airport, that “we have no indications at this
American officials said. time.”
The strike came just two days before “We are confident we successfully
the U.S. is set to conclude a massive hit the target,” Urban said. “Signifi-
airlift of tens of thousands of Afghan cant secondary explosions from the
and foreign civilians and withdraw vehicle indicated the presence of a
the last of its troops, ending Ameri- substantial amount of explosive ma-
ca’s longest war with the Taliban back terial.”
in power. The strike came two days after an Is-
lamic State suicide attack outside the
The U.S. State Department released airport killed at least 169 Afghans and
a statement signed by around 100 13 U.S. service members. The U.S.
countries, as well as NATO and the carried out a drone strike elsewhere
European Union, saying they had re- in the country on Saturday that it said
ceived “assurances” from the Taliban killed two IS members.
that people with travel documents
would still be able to leave the coun- President Joe Biden had vowed to
try freely. The Taliban have said they keep up the airstrikes, saying Satur-
will allow normal travel after the U.S. day that another attack was “highly
withdrawal is completed on Tuesday likely.” The State Department called that had gathered outside the gates was entertaining people,” his son,
and they assume control of the air- the threat “specific” and “credible.” hoping to join the airlift. Jawad, said. “They shot him in the
port. head on the farm.”
The Sunni extremists of IS, with links Britain ended its evacuation flights
At around the same time as the drone to the group’s more well-known af- Saturday, and most U.S. allies con- The shooting happened in the An-
strike, Afghan police said a rocket hit filiate in Syria and Iraq, have carried cluded theirs earlier in the week. But darabi Valley, for which the family
a neighborhood near the airport, kill- out a series of attacks, mainly target- U.S. military cargo planes continued is named, some 100 kilometers (60
ing a child. Rashid, the Kabul police ing Afghanistan’s Shiite Muslim mi- their runs into the airport Sunday, miles) north of Kabul, where the Tal-
chief, who goes by one name, con- nority, including a 2020 assault on ahead of a Tuesday deadline set by iban battled local fighters even after
firmed the rocket attack, and video a maternity hospital in Kabul that President Joe Biden to withdraw all seizing the capital. The Taliban say
obtained by The Associated Press killed women and newborns. American troops. they have retaken the region, which is
showed smoke rising from a building near mountainous Panjshir, the only
around a kilometer (half a mile) from The Taliban have fought against In interviews with Sunday talk shows, one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces not
the airport. the IS affiliate in the past and have Secretary of State Antony Blinken under Taliban control.
pledged to not allow Afghanistan to said the U.S. was working with other
The Taliban described the drone become a base for terror attacks. The countries to ensure that the airport Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Muja-
strike and the rocket attack as separate U.S.-led invasion in 2001 came in functions normally after the U.S. hid said his group would investigate
incidents, but residents of the Afghan response to the 9/11 attacks, which withdrawal and that the Taliban allow the shooting, without providing any
capital heard only one large blast. al-Qaida planned and executed while people to travel freely. further information. The Taliban
being sheltered by the Taliban. banned music as un-Islamic when
Two American military officials, who The Taliban have given similar as- they last ruled the country.
spoke on condition of anonymity to The Taliban increased security surances in recent days, even as they
discuss military operations, called the around the airport after Thursday’s have urged Afghans to remain and Andarabi played the ghichak, a bowed
airstrike successful and said the ve- attack, clearing away the large crowds help rebuild the war-ravaged country. lute, and sang traditional songs about
his birthplace, his people and the
Tens of thousands of Afghans have country. A video online showed him
sought to flee the country since the at one performance, sitting on a rug
Taliban’s rapid takeover earlier this with the mountains behind him.
month, fearing a return to the harsh
form of Islamic rule the group im- “There is no country in the world
posed on Afghanistan from 1996 un- like my homeland, a proud nation,”
til 2001. Others fear revenge attacks he sang. “Our beautiful valley, our
or general instability. great-grandparents’ homeland.”

The Taliban have pledged amnesty for Karima Bennoune, the United Na-
all Afghans, even those who worked tions special rapporteur on cultural
with the U.S. and its allies, and say rights, said she had “grave concern”
they want to restore peace and secu- over Andarabi’s killing. “We call on
rity after decades of war. But many governments to demand the Taliban
Afghans distrust the group, and there respect the #humanrights of #art-
have been reports of summary execu- ists,” she tweeted.
tions and other human rights abuses
in areas under Taliban control. Agnes Callamard, the secretary-gen-
The shooting of a folk singer in a eral of Amnesty International, also
tense region north of Kabul was decried the killing.
bound to contribute to such fears.
Fawad Andarabi’s family said the Tal- “There is mounting evidence that the
iban shot him for no reason, just days Taliban of 2021 is the same as the in-
after they had searched his home and tolerant, violent, repressive Taliban
drank tea with him. of 2001,” she tweeted. “Nothing has
changed on that front.”
“He was innocent, a singer who only