As an enemy of both the Taliban and the US, ISIS-K is threatening to launch a devastating terror attack as thousands flee Kabul airport
US intelligence and military analysts say that ISIS-K is threatening to target Kabul Airport with a bomb-laden truck, suicide bombers and mortar strikes against the airfield.
With the increasing threat of a terror attack and demands by the Taliban for the US to leave by the end of August, Biden is scrambling to hasten evacuation efforts.
“Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and allied forces and innocent civilians,” Biden said.
BLINKEN: "It's hard to overstate the complexity and the danger of this effort. We're operating in a hostile environment in a city and country now controlled by the Taliban with the very real possibility of a ISIS attack. We're taking every precaution but this is very high-risk."
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) August 25, 2021
Biden’s national security adviser says terror threat is “acute” and “persistent”
Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan says that American officials are taking all possible steps to thwart potential attacks.
As a result, the Biden administration has struck an unlikely temporary truce with the Taliban to defend against an ISIS-K attack.
ISIS leaders have already denounced the Taliban takeover, saying that the group is too ‘progressive’.
US, UK and allied forces exposed to terror attack
US and NATO troops remain particularly exposed to an attack, needing to rely on the Taliban to ensure a safe passage to Kabul Airport.
The US embassy in Kabul has advised US citizens to “avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so”.
The UK Foreign office has also updated its travel advice for UK nationals:
“The security situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attack. Do not travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you are in the area of the airport, move away to a safe location and await further advice.”
