Biden warns of more attacks as military begins final pullout

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon says the subject has begun its last withdrawal from Afghanistan amid a heightened menace of violent attacks.

President Joe Biden said Saturday that commanders told him an onslaught was “highly likely” implicit the adjacent 24 to 36 hours. Biden said successful a statement that helium directed the commanders to instrumentality “every imaginable measure” to prioritize unit protection.

“Despite the treacherous concern successful Kabul, we are continuing to evacuate civilians. Yesterday, we brought retired different 6,800 people, including hundreds of Americans,” wrote Biden. “And today, we discussed the ongoing preparations to assistance radical proceed to permission Afghanistan aft our subject departs.”

An authoritative says the fig of U.S. troops remaining has dropped to 4,000 oregon fewer, 3 days earlier Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline for getting retired and ending the longest warfare successful American history.

Army Maj. Gen. William D. "Hank" Taylor confirmed successful a Pentagon property league Saturday that a U.S. drone onslaught connected Friday killed 2 members of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, identified arsenic ISIS-K.

“Yesterday, U.S. subject forces conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism cognition against an ISIS-K planner and facilitator. The airstrike occurred successful the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. I tin corroborate arsenic much accusation has travel successful that 2 high-profile ISIS targets were killed and 1 was wounded, and we cognize of zero civilian casualties.”

Biden said that onslaught “was not the last.”

“We volition proceed to hunt down immoderate idiosyncratic progressive successful that heinous onslaught and marque them pay. Whenever anyone seeks to harm the United States oregon onslaught our troops, we volition respond. That volition ne'er beryllium successful doubt,” wrote Biden.

The remains of 13 U.S. troops killed Thursday successful a bombing Kabul are headed home. The Department of Defense besides identified the American work members killed connected Saturday.

“The 13 work members that we mislaid were heroes who made the eventual sacrifice successful work of our highest American ideals and portion redeeming the lives of others. Their bravery and selflessness has enabled much than 117,000 radical astatine hazard to scope information frankincense far. May God support our troops and each those lasting ticker successful these unsafe days,” Biden ended his statement.