According to Afghan health ministry authorities, two explosions occurred outside the Kabul airport on Thursday, killing at least 40 people and injuring more than 120 others. According to reports, some US military personnel were injured in the strike.
“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update,” says Pentagon.
Since the Taliban seized power earlier this month, thousands of civilians have congregated outside the airport in an attempt to exit the country by Western airlift.
Despite the fact that the area was attacked, the official stated that evacuation flights continued to depart from Kabul airport, which Western nations had warned would be targeted.
According to the Pentagon, US and partner officials had intelligence that suicide bombers were planning an attack on the airport.
Following an explosion near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, the US Embassy in Kabul issued an alert advising American citizens to “avoid travelling to the airport and avoid airport gates.” The French embassy, too, issued an urgent warning to its residents to evacuate the area.
According to a White House official, President Joe Biden has been briefed on the explosion. When the explosion was initially reported, Biden was in a meeting with security officials regarding the situation in Afghanistan, where the US is in the closing stages of finishing its 20-year war, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Following the twin blasts outside Kabul airport, the UK government has decided to convene a crisis conference.
According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, at least 52 people were injured in the bomb near the Baron Hotel near the Abbey Gate in Kabul airport. He noted that the other bomb resulted in casualties as well, but the exact number is unknown.
