Child killed when rocket hits neighborhood near Kabul airport
KABUL, Afghanistan - A child was killed Sunday when a rocket struck a neighborhood northwest of Kabul’s airport, according to an Afghan police chief.
This comes just days after an Islamic State group affiliate known as ISIS-K conducted a suicide attack at the Kabul airport that killed more than 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops.
According to the Associated Press, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. But President Joe Biden said Saturday U.S. commanders informed him an attack was "highly likely" within the next 24-36 hours.
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The rocket struck Kabul's Khuwja Bughra neighborhood, said Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name. Video obtained by The Associated Press in the aftermath of the attack showed smoke rising from building at the site around half a mile from the airport.
Violence around the Kabul airport is on an uptick as of late. Afghans have flocked to the airport ever since the Taliban overthrew the government and assumed power. American troops, who are set to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, have been facilitating a massive evacuation effort for most of the month.
On Thursday, a suicide attack at the airport claimed the lives of more than 160 Afghans and 13 American troops. ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack.
On Saturday, U.S. forces used drones to kill ISIS-K members who were planning more attacks. President Joe Biden later released a statement vowing those airstrikes wouldn’t be the last.
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The next day, the U.S. thwarted another attempt at a suicide bombing. American forces launched airstrikes that took out a vehicle full of suicide bombers headed for the airport. News of Sunday's airstrike came just minutes after reports of the rocket explosion that killed a child.
It’s unclear if the two incidents are related, the Associated Press reported.
This story was reported from Atlanta. The Associated Press contributed to this report.