Many were feared dead in twin explosions near Kabul's airport on Thursday, according to Pentagon, which said civilians and US service members were among the casualties. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport's Abbey Gate and the other close to nearby Baron Hotel.
US President Joe Biden pledged on Thursday to hunt down the perpetrators of the suicide bombings in Kabul that killed 12 American troops. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said in an address from the White House during which he praised the slain US troops as "heroes."
According to a Reuters report, a Taliban official pegged the casualties at at least 13, including children, in what is being suspected to be a suicide attack. It has been labelled a "complex attack" by the US military, according to AFP. Pentagon said several US troops were killed in the attack, and more were wounded.
The western allies led by US had earlier in the day urged Afghans to leave the area due to a threat by Islamic State. They said they had intelligence that suicide bombers tied to the Afghan arm of Islamic State group -- the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) -- were threatening to attack the airport ahead of US's August 31 deadline to finalize the evacuation. The group is known to be at odds with the Taliban.
The explosion comes amid evacuations carried out by several countries. President Joe Biden has said US intends to complete its pullout from Afghanistan by August 31. Over 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have fled Afghanistan via the US-led airlift since Taliban took control of the country on August 15.
