[16] On 27 August, the United States launched an unmanned airstrike which the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said was against three suspected ISIS–K members in Nangarhar Province.

[21][22] On 16 August, the Pentagon warned the U.S. Congress about the increased threat of a terrorist attack by ISIS following the fall of Kabul the previous day.

[27] United Kingdom Armed Forces Minister James Heappey had also warned of a highly credible threat of attack at the airport by ISIS militants.

Two were killed, who were described by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby as "high-profile ISIS targets" and "planners and facilitators"; the third occupant of the vehicle was injured.

[80] CENTCOM identified him on 23 September as Kabir Aidi (alias "Mustafa"), and stated that he was involved in planning attacks and making magnetic IEDs.

It also stated that he was directly involved with the orchestrators of the bombing and was reportedly helping distribute explosives and suicide vests to target people during the evacuation.

[84] A preliminary investigation conducted into the 29 August drone strike by the American military said the targeted vehicle had visited what was believed to be a safe house for ISIS–K by intelligence analysts.

It however found no concrete proof that there were explosives inside, though stating it was "possible to probable", and a commander had given the order after seeing no civilians on live feed, only for them to appear a few seconds later.

[85] An investigation conducted by The New York Times however found that the targeted driver, identified as Zemari Ahmadi, was an aid worker for Nutrition and Education International, and that his movements that raised the military's suspicion, was him picking up and later dropping off his office colleagues.

The Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley confirmed all of those killed in the strike were innocent civilians.

[18][89] A CNN report revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency had warned the military of civilians in the area after they fired the missile and only seconds before it struck.

[91] The Council on American–Islamic Relations, Code Pink and Amnesty International condemned the 29 August drone strike, calling it a continuation of American policy of killing civilians without accountability.

[94] Mark Milley defended the strike on 1 September as "righteous" after doubts were raised about it, while claiming one of the persons killed in it was an ISIS–K member and they had followed due procedure.

[96] White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on 2 September acknowledged that civilians had been killed in the strike and stated that an investigation was ongoing.

[97] After the publishing of journalistic reports casting doubt on the military's account, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on 13 September defended the strike, saying it prevented an attack on the airport.

CNN reported that, the Pentagon upheld its findings from 2021 and 2023 investigations, which attributed all casualties to the suicide bombing and maintained that no civilians were hit by coalition gunfire.