Two explosions at Kabul airport have killed at least 13 people, including children, and injured at least three US troops just hours after intelligence officials warned of an imminent threat to the crowd gathered there trying to escape the Taliban.
The first blast was caused by an ISIS suicide bomber in a vest, detonating outside The Baron Hotel, at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport, according to Fox News and Politico. Westerners were staying in the hotel before their evacuation flights.
A second explosion was reported at the airport’s Abbey Gate, where crowds have bee gathering for more than a week in the hope of being put on one of the evacuation flights out. That explosion was caused by a car bomb, according to unconfirmed reports.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby tweeted there were a ‘number of US & civilian’ casualties but it’s unclear if he was referring to deaths or injuries.
At least three US troops were injured and it remains unclear if any Americans were killed. The nationalities of all of the victims are not yet known.
President Biden is in the situation room at the White House, where he will be joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Harrowing footage from the blast site show bloodied Afghans being removed from the scene on wheelchairs. One witness reported that a baby was among those killed.
The attack came just hours after officials were warned that ISIS was plotting something against the crowd of Western citizens and allies at the airport, where thousands have gathered for more than a week now trying to get on one of the evacuation planes out of Afghanistan after Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from the region.
The Taliban claimed Kabul on August 14 and there has been a frantic scramble to get Western citizens and Afghan allies out of the region by August 31, the Taliban’s ceasefire deadline.
As many as 1,500 Americans remain stranded in Afghanistan with increasingly bleak options;
- Hide in your homes and risk missing the chance to be flown out on one of the last evacuation flights
- Make a run for the Pakistan border, which is now overrun with Afghans and nearly 200 miles away
- Go to the airport, where there is a risk being blown up, shot at or getting lost in the crowd
Despite the escalating chaos, the US’s top diplomat made the astonishing claim on Thursday morning, before the explosion, that it was ‘relatively safe’ on the ground and people should still be able to make their way there.
Now, Americans in Afghanistan are being told not to go to the airport.
The Pentagon on Thursday denied fears that the US was going to withdraw within 36 hours, but Press Secretary John Kirby offered no date for when troops would leave, saying only they would stay in Afghanistan until the ‘end of the mission’.
It offers little hope to the Americans on the ground who are stuck behind Taliban lines, unable to get to the airport.
Overnight, 5,100 people were flown out of Kabul on US military planes. Another 8,300 were saved by coalition flights. The total – 13,400 – was drastically less than the 19,000 rescued in the previous 24 hours.
Ross Wilson, the Acting US Ambassador in Afghanistan, said on Thursday his office was making ‘phone calls’ but that many Americans didn’t leave when they had the chance and are now on their own.
‘We have through the State Department been placing phone calls to virtually all those who have registered with us to find out are they still in Afghanistan, are they interested in leaving Afghanistan, do they need help.
‘People chose not to leave – that’s their business, that’s their right. We regret now that many may find themselves in a position that they would rather not be in,’ he said on Thursday.
Britain is now telling its citizens that anyone who hasn’t yet been able to get out should make a run for the border and seek refuge in Pakistan.
Hameed Ullah, the head of the Coronavirus Health team at the Chaman border, said 18,000 people a day were crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan – 6,000 more than usual.
The US has not told its citizens to go to the border and State Department officials do not even know how many remain in the country, wanting to leave.
Biden has promised to get every American out by August 31 but it is becoming increasingly unlikely with hundreds still scattered around the country. He is due to host a conference call with governors on Thursday at 3pm to determine where Afghan refugees will be housed.
CNN’s source said on Thursday that 200 had been evacuated overnight, bringing the total 500 down significantly.
The source estimated that of the 500 Blinken was talking about, there are now only 150 waiting to be evacuated.
It remains unclear if any more citizens have been able to get in touch with the State Department since Blinken spoke.
There are still 1,800 Afghans who worked at the US Embassy in Kabul and are waiting to be flown out but the mission is winding down on Friday, the source said.
‘American citizens are still trickling in but their priority has shifted to local staff,’ the source said.
The United States, Britain and Australia told their citizens in the early hours of Thursday to clear the airport over fears of a deadly car bomb blast. The US said that citizens outside three gates in particular should ‘leave immediately’, while Britain and Australia told anyone near the airport to clear the area entirely.
Among those still stranded are dozens of students from a San Diego school, who flew to Afghanistan with relatives to visit family and got stuck.
They did not all travel together but went with their families in smaller groups. One of the groups has now returned to the US, leaving 19 still stuck in Kabul.
The bomb threat on Wednesday was given amid fears extremist group ISIS-K, the Islamic State branch based in Afghanistan, was plotting an attack with multiple car bombs by deploying recently-freed prisoners.
It comes as the number of evacuation flights are falling rapidly after Joe Biden held firm to the August 31 deadline, meaning that allied countries have started to shutdown their operations – or finished already.
France said it will stop flying to Kabul on Friday, Poland has already left and Holland is expected to finish today.
Meanwhile, Britain could stop flying by tonight because the U.S. is cutting short the evacuation operation three days before the deadline to ensure a safe exit.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday there were up to 1,500 Americans still trapped in Afghanistan and that 500 had been in touch with the government to ask for help getting to the airport.
Since then, 350 have been evacuated, according to CNN, which leaves just 150 of the 500 the government knows about still waiting to be rescued.
British armed forces minister James Heappey this morning warned there is ‘very credible reporting’ of an ‘imminent’ and ‘severe’ threat to the airport.
The former British Army Major told LBC radio he had been given ‘lines today for what might happen if the attack happened while I was doing this media round.’
Heappey added: ‘I don’t think everybody should be surprised by this, Daesh, or Islamic State, are guilty of all sorts of evil.”
MailOnline
