AMERICA is bracing itself for more attacks following a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport which claimed the lives of at least 85 people, including 13 US soldiers.
On Thursday evening, an explosion was reported at the Abbey Gate area of the airport, where British and US troops were stationed evacuating British and US citizens, as well as refugees and eligible Afghan citizens.
72 Afghans were killed in the blast, including 28 members of the Taliban, as well as 13 American soldiers.
The attack is the single biggest tragedy to hit US troops in Afghanistan since a helicopter was shot down in 2011, killing 30.
ISIS-K (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province), who claimed responsibility for the bombing, said they were targeting "translators and collaborators with the American army."
US officials have promised retribution, and President Joe Biden has told the culprits "we will hunt you down and make you pay".
"We will not forgive, We will not forget," Biden promised.
General Frank McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, said US commanders were on high alert for more attacks by Islamic State, including possibly rockets or vehicle-borne bombs targeting the airport.
"We're doing everything we can to be prepared," he said.
Meanwhile, US forces have accelerated their withdrawal from Afghanistan following the attacks. An initial deadline was set for August 31, but it's now highly unlikely that western troops will risk sticking around for that long.
Biden's administration has been heavily criticised in the wake of the attack, as military intelligence officers had reportedly warned of the threat posed by ISIS for a number of days.
