The “total panic” seized Afghans gathered near Kabul airport on Thursday, hit by two deadly explosions, witnesses said, hours after Western countries warned of the high risk of attack. At least six people were killed and dozens were injured, including thousands of Afghans who have been massing there for days in hopes of being evacuated from the country that has fallen to the Taliban. According to a Taliban, there are between 13 and 20 dead and 52 injured. The Pentagon confirmed the death of several American soldiers, while others were injured. According to the Wall Street Journal and the Fox channel, which quoted unidentified American officials, four soldiers of the Marine Corps were killed.
US service members and Afghans have been killed in two suicide bombing attacks outside Kabul’s airport, a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday.
The deadly blasts came as the United States and other Western countries raced to complete a massive evacuation of their citizens and Afghan allies following the Taliban takeover of the country.
“We can confirm that a number of US service members were killed in today’s complex attack at Kabul airport. A number of others are being treated for wounds. We also know that a number of Afghans fell victim to this heinous attack,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and injured.”
US officials have been warning over the past week that a threat of a terror attack at the airport was becoming more acute. Earlier on Thursday local time, US diplomats in Kabul warned American citizens to “immediately” leave several gates into the airport, citing security threats.
US officials believe the group, ISIS-K, was likely behind today’s attack but are still working to confirm its involvement, according to a senior US official and another source briefed on initial assessments. The second source told CNN it may take a few hours before US officials are able to identify the specific individuals who carried out the apparent suicide bombing.
The first explosion, which occurred at the Abbey Gate, an access that is currently closed, was “the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of American and civilian casualties,” according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. The second took place at or near the Baron Hotel.
“It was a huge explosion, in the middle of the crowd waiting in front of one of the gates of the airport,” where people enter who are being evacuated by Westerners, a witness to the scene, Milad.
Photos posted on social networks showed bloodied people being taken to safety on wheelbarrows, or a child clutching the arm of a man with a head wound. Thick smoke rose into the air as men, women and children ran in all directions to get away from the explosions.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the “horrific terrorist attack” and said the priority was “to evacuate as many people as possible”. For his part, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said he was “extremely concerned”, while also calling for continued evacuations from the airport secured by the United States. The last German evacuation flight from Afghanistan, with Germans and local staff on board, took off Thursday evening.
