2 high-profile ISIS targets killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan: Pentagon

Washington: The US airstrike, carried out in 'retaliation' of the Kabul blasts perpetrated by the ISIS-K, has killed two high-profile IS targets and another was left wounded, the Pentagon confirmed on Saturday. No civilians were hurt in the strike, it said adding that the US will maintain its ability to defend itself until the end of the withdrawal.

On whether there was only one strike that killed those two, Pentagon press secretary John F Kirby said, "There was only one mission and as information came coming in, we found out that two were killed." Based on their past activities, they have been classified as 'high profile', the Pentagon said.

Refusing to divulge their names or whether they were directly involved in the Kabul blast, Kirby said, "They were ISIS-K planners and facilitators, which is enough reason. We won't go into the details of their roles."

Commenting on the threat level at areas surrounding Kabul airport, the press secretary said, "The threats are still very real and dynamic and we are monitoring them real-time." On Haqqani and Taliban link, the press secretary said, "The focus is on getting more people out. So I am not sure what benefit it does if I break down the characteristic of this groups... there is a certain amount of co-mingling."

At least one of the IS planners killed in Saturday's airstrike was known to the United States, CNN has reported earlier as a US official earlier said the target was not believed to be a senior Islamic State militant, without ruling out future action against the group.

Reports said that the strike was carried out in a compound in Jalalabad, which is around 150 km away from Kabul. According to a CNN report, surveillance continues on the compound until the target's wife and children left.

The strike does not eliminate the threat of the ISIS-K, the Pentagon said clarifying that the situation is dynamic. "The ISIS-K lost one of their planners and facilitators. But we are not saying that we got them..so the threat is over," John said.