Rockets Heard Flying over Kabul Hours after Second U.S. Drone Strike

Several rockets were heard flying over the Afghan capital on Monday; hours after U.S. military forces killed an Islamic State (IS) suicide car bomber suspected of preparing to attack the Kabul Airport.

It was not immediately clear where the rockets landed or what the targets were. They were reportedly fired from a vehicle in north Kabul. Unverified images posted on the social media showed smoke rising above buildings.

At least one rocket appears to have been intercepted by the airport’s missile defense system. Locals claim they saw shrapnel falling to the ground after they heard the system destroying a rocket.

In a statement Sunday, the U.S. military said they conducted a drone strike “on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport.” There were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the car, indicating a large amount of explosive material inside.

“We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material,” Capt. Bill Urban, USN, U.S. Central Command Spokesman said.

According to reports, nine members of one family, including six children, were killed in the strike.

“We are aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike on a vehicle in Kabul today. We are still assessing the results of this strike, which we know disrupted an imminent ISIS-K threat to the airport… We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,” Urban added.

These further attacks come as the U.S. is due to withdraw the last of its troops by late Tuesday.