By Abdul Adil

London, (The Muslim News) Nine members of one family, including six children, were killed in a US drone strike targeting a vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, a relative of the dead, reported the CNN.

Local media also reported the killing of civilians by the US strike.

According to local Ariana News, six people, including four children, were killed and four others wounded in Sunday’s US strike.

US said it had launched a “defensive” military strike in Kabul against a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from the ISIS-K who were aiming to attack Hamid Karzai International airport.

The US Central Command said the blast was an “over-the-horizon airstrike to hit a vehicle” which posed an “imminent” threat to Hamid Karzai International Airport from ISIS-K, the Deash/ISIS terror affiliate behind last Thursday’s attack which killed some 170 people, including 13 US soldiers.

“We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material,” Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for US Central Command, said in a statement.

“We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time. We remain vigilant for potential future threats,” he added.

“We know that there were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the vehicle, indicating a large amount of explosive material inside that may have caused additional casualties. It is unclear what may have happened, and we are investigating further,” he said.

“We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,” he added.

[Photo: A view from the site after a rocket fired by US forces targeting ISIS-K vehicle leaded with explosives hit residential area near Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 29, 2021. Photographer: Haroon Sabawoon/AA]