Kabul Airport Attack Kills 13 U.S. Service Members, At Least 90 Afghans

Two explosions ripped through crowds seeking evacuation, followed by an assault by Islamic State gunmen

More than 100 people were killed, including at least 13 U.S. service members and 90 Afghans, at the Kabul airport Thursday when two blasts ripped through crowds trying to enter the American-controlled facility, disrupting the final push of the U.S.-led evacuation effort.

A suicide bomb attack at the airport’s Abbey Gate was followed by an assault by gunmen, officials said.

Another bomb attack took place nearby, at a hotel outside the airport, officials said. Eighteen U.S. service members were injured, the Pentagon said.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack on a website, according to AFP news service and in an Arabic language telegram channel reviewed by Al Jazeera identified the bomber by name.

Others cautioned against drawing conclusions about the source of the attacks.

“While it is too early to draw any conclusions about those responsible, ISIS-K had a clear motivation to disrupt our efforts to evacuate many tens of thousands of people,” Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said in a statement earlier in the day.

There had been multiple official warnings from the US and UK of a potential bomb attack on crowds trying to get into the airport.
The White House said 13,400 people were evacuated in the 24 hours that ended early Thursday morning on, US East Coast time, a substantial drop from the 19,000 airlifted by all means the day before.

President Joe Biden, who has come under criticism in the US Congress for the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan as US troops withdrew, was being briefed by his national security team at the White House on Thursday.

“As we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear: We can’t trust the Taliban with Americans’ security,” Senator Bob Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a tweet.

How Biden will respond and whether the bombing will affect the US evacuation and planned August 31 withdrawal is unclear.

The first meeting between Biden and new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett scheduled for Thursday was delayed for a day and a virtual meeting between Biden and state governors to discuss resettling Afghan refugees was cancelled.

Biden has previously warned the Taliban that the US would respond with force if US personnel conducting the evacuation of US citizens and Afghan civilians from the airport were attacked.

“As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban: If they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful. We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary,” Biden said on August 16 at the White House.