Medical and hospital staff carry an injured man out of a car after two blasts in Kabul
New Delhi:
Several, including children, were killed in three explosions near Kabul's airport amid an evacuation effort by countries from Afghanistan after Taliban's takeover. A number of US service members were also killed in the blasts, the Pentagon said.
Here are the top 10 points of this big story:
- Two explosions struck near the main gate of Kabul airport in what the US military labelled a "complex attack", with several civilians and American troops among the casualties. Hours after the twin blasts, a third explosion was reported by news agency AFP while unconfirmed reports said there may have been more.
- Visuals from outside the airport showed dozens of bodies of people killed in tightly packed crowds outside the airport. Afghan health officials were quoted as saying 60 civilians died, but it was not clear whether that was a complete count..
- At least 13 US troops were killed and three others wounded in the explosions, US sources told Reuters.
- Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement in which it said one of its suicide bombers targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army".
- The Taliban condemned the blasts in an area they said was under the control of US military. "The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing targeting civilians at Kabul airport," a statement released by the group's spokesman on Twitter said.
- India strongly condemned the bomb blasts and said, "Today's attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism and all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists".
- Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport's Abbey Gate and the other close to the nearby Baron Hotel, where US citizens were gathering to be evacuated. Two US officials said at least one of the explosions appeared to be from a suicide bombing.
- The explosion came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area because of a threat by ISIS.
- A massive airlift of foreign nationals and their families as well as some Afghans has been under way since the day before Taliban forces captured Kabul on August 15.
- The US has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country on August 31.
