On Thursday, explosions occurred outside Kabul airport as the evacuation process is ongoing. Following the incident, a Taliban official stated that the incident is seemingly a suicide bomb attack, killing at least 13 people, including children.
The official also added that many Taliban members were injured.
Following the incident, there have been statements coming from the United States. Sharing a message on his Twitter account, John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, confirmed the explosion. Another US official stated that three US soldiers were among those wounded. However, the exact number of people who got injured is not clear, the official added.
It appeared to be a suicide blast, according to two US sources.
The White House also issued a statement, indicating that US President Joe Biden has been informed about the explosion.
The blast came after US and Western states issued warnings urging Afghan people to stay away from the area due to a threat by Islamic State. Although there is a lack of detailed information regarding the attack, Western states have accentuated the possibility of the attack being carried out by Islamic State terrorists.
Before the explosion, a Taliban official who asked to remain unnamed, said, “Our guards are also risking their lives at Kabul airport, they face a threat too from the Islamic State.”
Meanwhile, Canadian forces announced they have halted the evacuation of approximately 3,700 Canadian and Afghan citizens, following the explosion. Speaking to reporters, the acting chief of Canada’s defense staff, General Wayne Eyre, said, “We wish we could have stayed longer and rescued everyone.”
On Wednesday, the US Embassy in Kabul urged its citizens to stay away from the airport on the ground of unspecified “security threats.”
Additionally, the intelligence concerning a probable suicide bomb assault by IS terrorists has become “far solid,” British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey stated. Speaking to a British broadcaster, Heappey said, “The threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal. We would not be saying this if we were not genuinely concerned about offering Islamic State a target that is just unimaginable.”
