Top US general warns ISIS attacks likely to continue in Afghanistan, says military will pursue those responsible

• Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr. confirmed at least 12 US service members were killed in terror attacks in Kabul.
• McKenzie attributed the attacks to ISIS-K, and said the threat level remained high.
• "If we can find who is associated with this, we will go after them," McKenzie said.

Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of US Central Command, on Thursday confirmed that terror attacks in Kabul killed at least 12 US service members. At least 15 other service members were wounded, the general said.

McKenzie attributed the attacks to ISIS-K, the Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan, and said the threat level remained high. ISIS also claimed responsibility for the attacks.

"The threat from ISIS is extremely real," McKenzie said. "We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks, and we expect those attacks to continue."

The general also indicated that the US would pursue those responsible.

"If we can find who is associated with this, we will go after them," McKenzie said.

McKenzie said that in spite of the attack "we are continuing the mission."

The general said the attacks were expected.

"Any time you build a non-combatant evacuation plan like this, and you bring in forces, you expect to be attacked. So, we expected, we thought this would happen sooner or later. It's tragic that it happened today," McKenzie said.

President Joe Biden and US officials in recent days warned of the potential for an ISIS-K attack as the US scrambles to complete evacuations from Kabul airport.

"Every day we're on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and allied forces and innocent civilians," Biden said on Tuesday.

The US has evacuated thousands of people via the Kabul airport since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in mid-August. The Biden administration has maintained that it will uphold an August 31 deadline for evacuations, as the situation on the ground becomes increasingly chaotic.

Biden was expected to address the nation on the situation at 5 pm ET on Thursday.