Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed Thursday that there was a explosion outside Kabul airport and that the attack “resulted in a number of American and civilian casualties. ”There was a second explosion near another one of the airport entrances.
According to the Al Jazeera network, at least eleven people died. The Russian Foreign Ministry, for its part, provided the first official figure and announced that at least 13 people were killed and another 15 injured in the explosive attacks at the Kabul airport.
Kirby confirmed that “the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of American and civilian casualties. We can confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from the Abbey Gate.”
The warning for a bombing at the Kabul airport
In the last hours, The United States, United Kingdom and Australia warned of a “high terrorist threat” at the airport. Although the place is under US control, the surroundings are patrolled by Taliban troops.
“Do not go to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport,” the British Foreign Ministry wrote on its website on Wednesday night.
“There is a high and permanent threat of terrorist attack “, He stressed, while thousands of Afghans are still crowded around the airport to try to flee the country that fell into the hands of the Taliban.
“If you are in the airport area, leave it in a safe place and wait for other instructions,” added the British diplomacy. “If you can leave Afghanistan by other safe means, do so immediately.”
The evacuation of Afghanistan
The end of the evacuation was stipulated for August 31, but the United Kingdom asked the United States to extend the deadline to be able to end the operations.
Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Belgium have already completed their respective evacuations, while France and Spain plan to do so this Friday.
.