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Wounded women arrive at a hospital for treatment after two blasts in Kabul on August 26, 2021. (Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images)
Children, US Soldiers Among Those Killed in Explosions Outside Kabul Airport
"We're not seeing a failed withdrawal. We're seeing the inevitable consequences of intervention."
Aug 26, 2021
This is a developing news story... Check back for possible updates...
Children, adult civilians, and U.S. military personnel were among those reportedly killed or wounded Thursday in a pair of explosions near Kabul's international airport, the site of a chaotic evacuation effort that the Biden administration is aiming to complete by early next week.
Citing the U.S. envoy in Kabul, the Wall Street Journal reported that at least 60 Afghans and a dozen U.S. Marines were killed in the explosions, which Pentagon officials said were caused by two suicide bombers. An ISIS affiliate has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
U.S. Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed that there were at least two explosions, one of which he said was "the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of U.S. and civilian casualties."
"We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from [the Kabul airport's] Abbey Gate," Kirby wrote on Twitter.
The explosions came after the U.S., United Kingdom, and other Western governments warned their citizens earlier Thursday not to travel to the Kabul airport, pointing to "very credible" intelligence indicating a possible attack.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement following the deadly blasts that Afghan officials "have warned U.S. troops about possible terrorist groups such as ISIS."
"The Taliban are committed to the international community and will not allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as a base for their operations," Mujahid added.
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This is a developing news story... Check back for possible updates...
Children, adult civilians, and U.S. military personnel were among those reportedly killed or wounded Thursday in a pair of explosions near Kabul's international airport, the site of a chaotic evacuation effort that the Biden administration is aiming to complete by early next week.
Citing the U.S. envoy in Kabul, the Wall Street Journal reported that at least 60 Afghans and a dozen U.S. Marines were killed in the explosions, which Pentagon officials said were caused by two suicide bombers. An ISIS affiliate has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
U.S. Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed that there were at least two explosions, one of which he said was "the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of U.S. and civilian casualties."
"We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from [the Kabul airport's] Abbey Gate," Kirby wrote on Twitter.
The explosions came after the U.S., United Kingdom, and other Western governments warned their citizens earlier Thursday not to travel to the Kabul airport, pointing to "very credible" intelligence indicating a possible attack.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement following the deadly blasts that Afghan officials "have warned U.S. troops about possible terrorist groups such as ISIS."
"The Taliban are committed to the international community and will not allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as a base for their operations," Mujahid added.
This is a developing news story... Check back for possible updates...
Children, adult civilians, and U.S. military personnel were among those reportedly killed or wounded Thursday in a pair of explosions near Kabul's international airport, the site of a chaotic evacuation effort that the Biden administration is aiming to complete by early next week.
Citing the U.S. envoy in Kabul, the Wall Street Journal reported that at least 60 Afghans and a dozen U.S. Marines were killed in the explosions, which Pentagon officials said were caused by two suicide bombers. An ISIS affiliate has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
U.S. Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed that there were at least two explosions, one of which he said was "the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of U.S. and civilian casualties."
"We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from [the Kabul airport's] Abbey Gate," Kirby wrote on Twitter.
The explosions came after the U.S., United Kingdom, and other Western governments warned their citizens earlier Thursday not to travel to the Kabul airport, pointing to "very credible" intelligence indicating a possible attack.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement following the deadly blasts that Afghan officials "have warned U.S. troops about possible terrorist groups such as ISIS."
"The Taliban are committed to the international community and will not allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as a base for their operations," Mujahid added.
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