Kabul blasts: Joe Biden says no sign of 'collusion' between Taliban and Islamic State in attacks

The United States President Joe Biden said that he has seen "no evidence" that the Taliban colluded with Islamic State militants in carrying out the deadly suicide bomb blasts at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Thursday (August 26).

Biden condemned the attacks and promised that the United States would "hunt down" those responsible for the explosions that caused mayhem at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport amid the mass evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan.

"There is no evidence thus far that I've been given as a consequence by any of the commanders in the field that there has been collusion between the Taliban and ISIS in carrying out what happened today," Biden said in an address at the White House.

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During the press briefing after deadly blasts at Kabul airport, Biden was asked about the ongoing criticism about the dependence on the Taliban to secure the perimeter of the airport.

To which Biden replied, "The fact is that we’re in a situation — we inherited a situation, particularly since, as we all know, that the Afghan military collapsed 11 days before — in 11 days — that it is in the interest of, as Mackenzie said, in the interest of the Taliban that, in fact, ISIS-K does not metastasize beyond what it is, number one. And number two, it’s in their interest that we are able to leave on time, on target."

"As a consequence of that, the major things we've asked them — moving back the perimeter; give me more space between the wall; stopping vehicles from coming through, et cetera; searching people coming through — it is not what you’d call a tightly commanded, regimented operation like the US is — the military is — but they’re acting in their interest — their interest," Biden added.

Watch Joe Biden's address here:

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The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks that killed at least 13 soldiers including US Marines and navy medic, along with scores of Afghans, who were waiting outside Kabul airport to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Biden also informed that he has asked the Pentagon to develop plans to strike back at Islamist militants. He said, "I've also ordered my commanders to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities."