Afghanistan Crisis: After the twin blast took place outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday, a third explosion has been reported by news agency AFP while unconfirmed reports said there may have been more. Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul airport on Thursday. The desperate scenes with people trying to flee the war-torn country after the Taliban takeover turned into horror as the blasts killed scores of civilians and at least 13 US troops.
The attackers killed a total of 85 people outside the Kabul Airport. According to a health official the toll of Afghans killed had risen to 72, including 28 Taliban members. The U.S. military said 13 of its service members were killed in attack on Thursday, says Reuters.
ISIS-K takes responsibility for Kabul blast
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the killings on its Amaq news channel. ISIS-K said one of its suicide bombers targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army". US officials also blamed the group.
The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport, reports AP. However, till the people could evacuate a major blast occurred killing dozens.
Civilians who moments earlier had hoped to get on flights out could be seen carrying the wounded to ambulances in a daze, their own clothes darkened with blood, reports Reuters.
The US general overseeing the evacuation said the attacks would not stop the United States from evacuating Americans and others, and flights out were continuing.
Hours after the explosion, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one explosion was near an airport entrance and another was a short distance away by a hotel. General Kenneth Franklin McKenzie, Commander of the United States Central Command said clearly some failure at the airport allowed a suicide bomber to get so close to the gate.
The attack on the Abbey Gate was followed by a number of ISIS gunmen who opened fire on civilians and military forces killing 13 American marines and leaving 18 injured till late Thursday.
He said the Taliban has been screening people outside the gates, though there was no indication that the Taliban deliberately allowed Thursday’s attacks to happen. He said the U.S. has asked Taliban commanders to tighten security around the airport’s perimeter.
'Will hunt you down and make you pay', Biden warns attackers
In an emotional speech from the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden said the latest bloodshed would not drive the U.S. out of Afghanistan earlier than scheduled, and that he had instructed the U.S. military to develop plans to strike IS.
In a solemn address from the White House, he praised the slain US servicemen as "heroes" and said evacuations will continue as planned.
Biden further said, "To those who carried out this attack as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay."