10 members of one family including several children killed following US drone strike family says

Ten members of one Afghan family were killed following a US drone strike in Kabul, according to relatives.

The drone strike on Sunday was aimed at a vehicle carrying "a substantial amount of explosive material" and heading to Kabul airport, US officials said.

They said the strike had caused "significant secondary explosions" and that they were "continuing to assess the situation".

Zemaray Ahmadi, 36, was killed alongside his sons Zamir, Faisal and Farzad - aged 20, 16 and 12, his family said.

Six of his nieces and nephews are also said to have died; a boy and girl both aged two, girls aged five and seven, a six-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man.

Advertisement

The family said Mr Ahmadi had worked with a foreign organisation in Kabul for 10 years as technical engineer.

US Army spokesman Major General William 'Hank' Taylor described the drone strike as an "unmanned, over-the horizon airstrike on a vehicle known to be an imminent ISIS-K threat".

More on Afghanistan

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Aftermath of rockets fired at Kabul airport

"This self defence strike successfully hit the target near Kabul airport," he said on Monday.

"Significant secondary explosions from the targeted vehicle indicated the presences of a substantial amount of explosive material.

"We are aware of reports of civilian casualties ands we take these reports very seriously and we are continuing to assess the situation."

The drone strike followed last week's suicide bombing at Kabul airport which killed 13 US service members and scores of Afghans hoping to flee the country after the Taliban takeover.

A separate drone strike on Saturday in Nangarhar province killed two "planners and facilitators" for the ISIS-K group, according to US officials.

The group, a regional affiliate of Islamic State, carried out the attack - and also claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the airport on Monday

President Biden had warned over the weekend that the situation remained extremely dangerous and that another attack was highly likely.

Remaining American personnel are due to leave Afghanistan on Tuesday, bringing an end to days of airlifts prompted by the Taliban's rapid takeover.

Efforts to bring people back Britons and people who had helped the UK's mission ended on Friday.

Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly told Sky News it is "impossible" to say how many people are left in Afghanistan who are eligible to come to Britain.

He said the government hoped to work with the Taliban to ensure the safe passage of Afghans out of the country

However, he said he was "sceptical" about claims there would not be reprisals and that people wouldn't be blocked from leaving.

The Taliban's surge came after Western troops began withdrawing their final troops, with President Biden following through on a Trump pledge to end America's presence in Afghanistan.

The UK stands united with our @coalition partners in mourning those killed by Daesh’s horrific attack at Kabul airport & in our unwavering collective resolve to combat Daesh networks by all means available, wherever they operate.https://t.co/BtKCfbcmyr

â€" Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) August 30, 2021

Meanwhile, a statement on Monday from The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS pledged to continue efforts to "ensure the defeat of this brutal terrorist organization".

The coalition of more than 80 countries said it was focused on using "military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic, law enforcement" means to defeat the group and its affiliates.

Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, tweeted that the coalition mourned the victims of the Kabul attack and would fight ISIS "by all means available, wherever they operate".

0 Response to "10 members of one family including several children killed following US drone strike family says"

Post a Comment