US to continue evacuation: Biden

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday that the United States will not be deterred from its mission to evacuate thousands of civilians from Afghanistan despite the deadly suicide attack on Kabul airport.“We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission. We will continue the evacuation,” Biden said in a televised address.

Biden revealed Thursday that he has ordered military commanders “to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities.” “We will respond with force and precision in our time, in a place we choose in a manner of our choosing,” Biden said, declining to give specifics on timing. The president left the door open for more military assistance in Afghanistan, saying “I’ve instructed the military with whatever they need if they need additional force, I will grant it. “ Describing those servicemen killed in the attack as heros, he said “These American service members who gave their lives were heroes; heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous selfless mission to save the lives of others.”