What are the 'specific' and 'credible' threats Pentagon preparing for in Kabul?

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Friday said that the United States is monitoring the threats “virtually, in real-time.”

A day after dozens of Afghans and US Marines were killed in an attack outside the Kabul airport, the US department of defense said there are still “credible” threats to the evacuation operations in Afghanistan. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters Friday that the United States is monitoring the threats “virtually, in real-time.”

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby speaks about the situation in Afghanistan during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Friday. (AP)

“We still believe there are credible threats. In fact, I'd say specific, credible threats, and we want to make sure we're prepared for those,” Kirby said.

“We have additional information...what you're seeing us act on, to the degree we can talk about, it is based on information that we have, and I think, I think I’d like it at that,” he added.

The attack outside the Kabul airport took place even as the United States was aware of the threats from the Islamic State terrorists. When asked about whether another such attack is potentially imminent, the Pentagon spokesperson said, “We certainly are prepared and would expect future attempts, absolutely, but I won't get into the specifics of what those are and why we're doing what we're doing.”

Without elaborating on the nature of the threat, Kirby stressed that they are “monitoring these threats, very, very specifically, virtually in real-time.”

Several countries have decided to wind up the evacuation operations in Afghanistan in the wake of heightened security concerns but the US has insisted on continuing the mission till the August 31 deadline. US Army Major General William Taylor asserted that the Islamic State terrorists won’t deter the US troops from accomplishing the mission.

“There are more than 5,000 US service members in harm’s way saving as many people as they can. It's a noble mission. We have seen firsthand how dangerous that mission is, but ISIS will not deter us from accomplishing this mission,” the deputy director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the briefing.