A large explosion went off on Thursday evening outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, where thousands of people were gathered as they try to flee the country after the Taliban takeover.
The blast at the Abbey Gate came after the US warned of a terror threat against the airport amid the ongoing evacuation of US citizens and allies, and advised its citizens against travel to the airport.
A second explosion later was confirmed outside of the Baron Hotel near the airport and the Abbey Gate.
Intelligence warnings point toward the Islamic State being responsible, but no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Pentagon confirmed the explosions.
John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, tweeted that,” We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.”
There is no exact information about the number of casualties yet, but the number of dead and injured has risen to more than 100, sources told The Media Line. Reuters reported that a Taliban official said the bombing killed 13 people, including children.
A defense source from the United Kingdom also confirmed the incident. There have been no reported UK military casualties, according to initial assessment.
Meanwhile, a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that had been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in Washington was postponed. Biden reportedly was in the White House situation room at the time that the meetings was supposed to begin.