KABUL: The Islamic State Group claimed a rocket attack at Kabul Airport on Monday, when US forces raced to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuated allies under the threat of further violence.
President Joe Biden has set a Tuesday deadline to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan, utilizing the longest military conflict of his nation, which began in retaliation for September 11 attacks.
The return of the Taliban Islamic Movement, which was overthrown in 2001 but took back strength two weeks ago, triggered an exodus of fears on US-led evacuation flights.
The flight, which has taken more than 122,000 people from Kabul Airport, will officially end on Tuesday when the last thousands of American troops pull out.
US troops now focus mainly to fly themselves and American diplomats safely.
The regional Islamic groups, Taliban rivals, pose the biggest threat to withdrawals, after conducting suicide bombs outside the airport last weekend which claimed more than 100 lives, including 13 US troops.
Then on Monday, they claimed to have fired six rockets at the airport.
A Taliban official said the attack was intercepted by the airport missile defense system.
Meanwhile, the United States said it had carried out air strikes on Sunday night in Kabul on a car bomb prepared.
The White House confirmed that there was a rocket attack that was directed at the airport, but the airlift operation was “without interruption”.
“The President has re-confirmed his command that commanders multiply their efforts to prioritize doing anything needed to protect our troops in the field,” said the White House statement.
A Taliban official at the scene said he believed five rockets had been fired.
The alleged US drone strike has hit a car, about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the airport.
Although there are no reports of deaths or damage to airports from rocket attacks, they cause greater anxiety for local residents who have been traumatized by years for years.
“Because America has taken control over the airport, we cannot sleep well,” Abdullah, who lives near the airport and only gives one name, to AFP.
“This is a gunshot, rockets, sirens or sounds of large planes that bother us.
And now they are targeted directly, it can put our lives in danger.” The United States said air strikes on Sunday night had eliminated another threat from the jihadist of the Islamic State.
However, it may also have killed civilians.
“We realized the report of civilian casualties after our strike on a vehicle in Kabul today,” Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US Central Command, said in a statement.
“We will be very sad with the potential loss of innocent life.” In recent years, article Afghanistan-Pakistan Islamic State has been responsible for some of the most deadly attacks in these countries.
They have civilians slaughtered in the mosque, public boxes, schools, and even hospitals.
Although both of them and the Taliban are Sunni Islamists hardline, they are bitter enemies – with each claiming as a true bearer of the Jihad flag.
The suicide bombing last week at the airport led to the worst dead victim for the US military in Afghanistan since 2011.
The threat has forced the US military and the Taliban to work together in ensuring security at the airport in an unthinkable way a few weeks ago.
The Taliban has begun to take over the areas emptied by US forces.
The Taliban has promised softer regulations than their first task, which ended with the US military because the group gave Sanctuary to Al-Qaeda.
But many Afghans are afraid of repetition of the brutal interpretation of the Taliban about Islamic law, and violence for violence to work with foreign military, western mission or government supported by the previous US.
Western allies have warned, thousands of risky Afghans have not been able to get evacuation flights.
On Sunday, the Taliban revealed their highest leader Hibiballah Akhundzada was in southern Afghanistan and planned to make public appearances.
“He was present in Kandahar,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, referred to the spiritual birthplace of the movement.