Over 85 Killed In Kabul Airport Carnage
The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan – IS Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for the attacks
Two bombing attacks outside Kabul airport killed 13 US service members and around 72 Afghans attempting to flee the country on August 26. These attacks were carried out by two suicide bombers and gunmen who surrounded the Kabul airport and transformed the evacuation scene into a death ball.
Thousands of Afghans gathered at the Kabul airport to escape the country which is now in the hands of the Taliban. Social media footage of the day showed two explosions followed by chaos with people running around to help the injured. According to the Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, one of the explosions happened at the airport’s abbey gate and the other at or near the Baron Hotel which is also very close to the Abbey gate.
After these explosions, the gunmen opened fire on the civilians and service members which led to a large number of casualties and injuries. Following this, a series of controlled and scheduled explosions were also carried out at the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
These attacks have come after Western countries have raced to evacuate their citizens and Afghan allies following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Even in this precarious climate, the United States said that it would continue to evacuate its citizens and others via flights.
Several hours before the blast some Western officials warned people of a major attack and urged them to leave the airport immediately. However, this advice went unheeded by people desperate to leave the country.
The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan – IS Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for the attacks outside Kabul airport. An IS official Amaq News agency said on its Telegram channel that an IS member Abdul Rahman al-Logari had martyred his life in the Kabul airport operation.
After August 2011, these attacks on Thursday have marked the deadliest day for US troops in a decade. President Joe Biden denounced these attacks and pledged to “hunt down” those responsible for these attacks.
“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive,” the president said. “We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
He called the US service members “heroes” engaged in selfless missions to save the lives of others. He pledged that the US would uphold a “sacred obligation” to the families of those who gave their lives.
Besides, 13 US service members were killed, 18 US soldiers were also wounded in the attack. The British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the threat of attacks would increase as the evacuation mission would proceed to its completion.
Under such extreme circumstances, Western countries fear that the Taliban will once again become the haven for militants. However, most of them are committed to continuing the air evacuation of their citizens and allies.