Biden vows to complete Afghanistan evacuation, hunt down ISIS leaders after Kabul attack

President Joe Biden on Thursday vowed to complete the evacuation of Americans and their allies from Afghanistan after a deadly terror attack near Kabul’s airport took the lives of more than a dozen U.S. service members and many Afghans. “We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission. We will continue the evacuation,” Biden said from the White House. “We will rescue Americans, we will get our Afghan allies, and the mission will go on. America will not be intimidated.”

The U.S. has about 5,400 military personnel assisting with the emergency evacuation efforts in Kabul. U.S. Central Command confirmed Thursday evening that the death toll had risen to 13 U.S. service members and 18 wounded after two suicide bombers detonated explosives. U.S. Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, said that a number of Afghan civilians were also killed in the blast, but he was not able to provide a precise number. He added that the current U.S. military assessment is that the bombers were ISIS fighters.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. The president addressed those responsible for the attack, saying, “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”

Biden vows to complete Afghanistan evacuation, hunt down ISIS leaders after Kabul attack, CNBC, Aug 27