Two explosions went off outside the Kabul airport on Thursday, killing at least 60 people and injuring hundreds, as per sources in the Afghanistan health ministry. Reports suggest that at least 12 US military personnel were killed and 15 injured in the dastardly attacks.
“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate,” said Pentagon in its statement.
At the time of the blasts, thousands of people had gathered outside the airport in a bid to flee the country.
The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks. As per US officials, the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), was responsible for the attack. ISIS-K is opposed by the United States and the Taliban.
According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, at least 52 people got injured in the blast near the Baron Hotel. He added that two explosions occurred in the area and the other blast also had casualties.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the explosion, according to a White House official. Biden was in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, where the US is in the final steps of ending its 20-year war, when the explosion was first reported, according to a person familiar with the matter. The US has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country on 31 August.
According to a local reporter, a suicide attacker blew himself up in the middle of a large crowd at the airport. A second explosion struck Kabul near a hotel in the country’s capital, where US citizens were gathering to be evacuated.
In recent days, Kabul airport has been witnessing chaotic scenes as people are reaching the airport in hurry to escape from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The US Embassy in Kabul has issued a security alert after twin explosions in Kabul.
On Wednesday, the US State Department had sent out an alert advising its citizens to avoid travelling to the Kabul airport.