No fewer than 60 Afghans and 12 United States (US) troops were killed with dozens wounded yesterday when two powerful explosions took place outside Kabul’s international Airport, amid a huge and chaotic evacuation effort from Afghanistan.
Afghan and US officials, who confirmed the incident, said a “complex attack” that occurred yesterday at the airport in Afghanistan’s capital claimed a number of American and civilian casualties.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport’s Abbey Gate and the other close to the nearby Baron Hotel. Two US officials said at least one of the explosions appeared to be from a suicide bombing.
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“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties,” Kirby said on Twitter.
“We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.”
A Taliban spokesperson confirmed that a third blast reported by local and international media around Kabul was from the US military destroying ammunitions.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride reporting from Kabul said the explosion sounded like a ” very large thud, a huge bang”.
Retired US General Mark Kimmitt, who served in the administration of George W, Bush, told the BBC: “The clear agreement between the United States – and other coalition forces – with the Taliban is that the Taliban would control the security outside of the gates
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