Rocket strikes house near Kabul airport hours after Biden's warning
What's the story
Hours after US President Joe Biden warned of the possibility of another terror attack at Kabul's international airport, a rocket reportedly struck a house nearby the airport, killing six, including a child. A huge blast late Sunday afternoon—suspected to have been caused by a rocket attack—was reported from a highly congested residential area northwest of the airport. No terror outfit has claimed responsibility yet.
Rocket strike
Blast reported from Gulai area in Kabul's 11th security district
As per reports, the blast on Sunday was reported after a rocket hit a house in Khajeh Baghra's Gulai area near the airport in Kabul's 11th security district. Soon after the explosion occurred, photos and videos from the incident, which surfaced on social media platforms, showed smoke emanating from the heavily congested residential area.
Twitter Post
Take a look at a video captured after rocket strike
RPG rocket fells on a house near #Kabul airport. pic.twitter.com/k0rezmwtJZ
— Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) August 29, 2021
Details
Biden Saturday said another terror attack in 24-36 hours likely
The rocket strike came a day after two Islamic State-Khorasan terrorists were killed in a US drone strike Friday—launched in retaliation to the deadly August 26 terror attack near Kabul's airport that killed over 180. Also, it came hours after Biden Saturday revealed American military commanders received intelligence inputs about another terrorist attack at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport in the next 24-36 hours.
Characteristically different
Sunday blast characteristically different from August 26 attack: Initial reports
Meanwhile, initial reports say the Sunday blast looks characteristically different from the August 26 one as the latter had been carried by an ISIS-K suicide bomber who targeted people outside the Kabul airport. However, today's attack is reportedly an airstrike that didn't seem to target the airport. The rocket strike comes two days ahead of the August 31 deadline for evacuations from Kabul's airport.