Kabul: At least 40 people have died and 120 have received severe injuries and may are in critical condition following the twin bomb blasts in Kabul on Thursday, the Afghanistan health ministry confirmed. The twin blasts at the Hamid Karzai International Airport come amid thousands of Afghans flooding the premises and crowding all entrances in a desperate bid to escape the brutal rule of the Taliban.
Condemning the attack, the Taliban blamed the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan for Kabul blasts. Speaking to a Turkish TV channel, a Taliban official said the presence of foreign forces in the country was to blame for the Kabul blasts on Thursday. “As soon as the airport situation is figured out and the foreign forces leave, we will not have such attacks anymore. It is because of the presence of foreign forces that such attacks take place,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission.
Evacuation must continue: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the Kabul evacuations must continue after the “horrific terrorist attack” that took place in Kabul on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg wrote: “I strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack outside #Kabul airport. My thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones. Our priority remains to evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible.”
Taliban condemn attack: The Taliban have condemned the attack outside Kabul’s airport, saying it occurred in an area controlled by US forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says his group strongly condemns Thursday’s attack and is paying close attention to security. The Taliban also suspected the role of ISIS in the attack.
UN slams terror attack: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport and said the incident “underscores the volatility” of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and “strengthens our resolve as the world body continues to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people. “This incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan but also strengthens our resolve as we continue to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people, he said.
As per reports, two suicide bombers and gunmen targeted crowds massing near the Kabul airport on Thursday, killing at least 40 people and wounding 120 others.
US suspects the role of ISIS: A US official said the complex attack was definitely believed to have been carried out by the Islamic State group, whose affiliate in Afghanistan grew out of disaffected Taliban members who hold an even more extreme view of Islam. The US official said members of the US military were among the wounded. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.
One explosion went off in a crowd of people waiting to enter the airport, according to Adam Khan, an Afghan waiting nearby. He said several people appeared to have been killed or wounded, including some who lost body parts.
People urged to avoid Kabul airport: Several countries urged people to avoid the airport earlier in the day, with one saying there was a threat of a suicide bombing. But just days or even hours for some nations before the evacuation effort ends, few appeared to heed the call. Over the last week, the airport has been the scene of some of the most searing images of the chaotic end of America’s longest war and the Taliban’s takeover, as flight after flight took off carrying those who fear a return to the militants’ brutal rule.
Already, some countries have ended their evacuations and begun to withdraw their soldiers and diplomats, signaling the beginning of the end of one of history’s largest airlifts. The Taliban have pledged not to attack Western forces during the evacuation, but insist the foreign troops must be out by America’s self-imposed deadline of Aug. 31.
