INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb is directing flags to be flown at half-staff to honor and pay respect to the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on Aug. 26 in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset on Monday, Aug. 30.
Holcomb issued the following statement on the service members:
“Indiana grieves alongside the world on the loss of the 13 U.S. service members who put their lives on the line to protect our country. I would ask that every Hoosier keep their families and loved ones in their thoughts and prayers. As a country and as a state we need to be unified in honoring and paying our respects to the ones who paid the ultimate price. Janet and I will do our part to honor those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.”
President Joe Biden is vowing to complete the evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan after the deadly suicide bombing at the Kabul airport. He promised to avenge the deaths of 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack, declaring to the extremists responsible: “We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
The 13 service members who died include 10 Marines and one Navy sailor. The military has not yet identified any of those or given a service affiliation for the two others.
As for the bombers and gunmen involved, he said, "We have some reason to believe we know who they are. Not certain.” He said he had instructed military commanders to develop plans to strike IS “assets, leadership and facilities.”
The U.S.-led airlift continued even as commanders and officials were recovering from Thursday's devastation. The White House said Friday morning that 8,500 evacuees had been flown out of Kabul aboard U.S. military aircraft in the previous 24 hours, as well as about 4,000 people on coalition flights.
The coalition's evacuation flights are scaling back, and the U.S. is scheduled to finish its evacuation operation by Tuesday. As many as 1,000 Americans and many more Afghans are still struggling to get out of Kabul.
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