Medical staff load an injured man into an ambulance after two powerful explosions, which killed at least six people, outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
Two explosions, one just outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul and another at the nearby Baron Hotel, caused several casualties Thursday. The attacks came less than a day after the U.S. Embassy warned U.S. citizens to get out of the area. Here's what we know so far:
- At least 60 people are wounded and at least six dead, according to Emergency, a trauma center in Kabul.
- Among the killed are four U.S. Marines.
- The attack is "definitely believed" to have been carried out by the Islamic State group, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.
Update 1:29 p.m. ET
A U.S. official has confirmed with NPR that at least four U.S. Marines were killed in today's attack.
Update 1:17 p.m. ET:
The Pentagon says "a number of U.S. service members were killed" or wounded.
"We can confirm that a number of U.S. service members were killed in today's complex attack at Kabul airport," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement on this morning's attack. "A number of others are being treated for wounds. We also know that a number of Afghans fell victim to this heinous attack.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and injured," Kirby added.
Update 12:56 p.m. ET:
The Taliban have condemned the blast outside the airport and said the area where the blast took place was controlled by the U.S.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote in a tweet, "The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing of civilians at Kabul airport, which took place in an area where U.S. forces are responsible for security."
He added that they were "paying close attention to the security." Separately, the former head of the Afghan government's negotiating team and one of the leaders in negotiations with the Taliban, Abdullah Abdullah, also condemned the explosion.
Update 12:46 p.m. ET:
What is happening in Kabul is a "full-fledged humanitarian crisis," the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a tweet. "Our government must secure the airport & evacuate the many US citizens & vulnerable Afghans desperately trying to leave the country."
Update 12:21 p.m. ET:
Although U.S. forces have suffered casualties, there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities among British soldiers or government officials, the British defense ministry said. The ministry statement did not mention whether any British civilian trying to leave Afghanistan was hurt or killed.
Smoke rises from an explosion outside the airport in Kabul. Gunfire and at least one other bombing has taken place across the Afghanistan capital on Thursday. Wali Sabawoon/AP
Update 12:10 p.m. ET:
The White House said President Biden had canceled his planned virtual meeting with governors about resettling Afghan refugees.
Biden met with his national security team Thursday morning, including Secretary of State Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, and spoke with commanders on the ground, and will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation in Kabul throughout the day, the White House said.
Biden's planned meeting with Israeli PM Bennett was also postponed. A planned briefing by White House press secretary Jen Psaki was also delayed.
Update 11:55 a.m. ET:
The number of patients taken to Emergency, a highly respected trauma center in Kabul, is now around 60. In an earlier tweet, the nongovernmental organization said, "6 others already dead on arrival."
This means the casualty count from the explosion is at least 60 wounded and at least 6 dead. U.S. officials earlier confirmed that three U.S. Marines were injured in the explosions.
Update 11:39 a.m. ET:
The explosion outside the Kabul airport is "definitely believed" to have been carried out by the Islamic State group, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Thursday attacks were carried out by two suicide bombers and gunmen.
Update 11:29 a.m. ET:
The main hospital in Kabul said it has received more than 30 patients. Six of them were dead on arrival, the hospital, run by an Italian nongovernmental organization, said in a tweet. )
Update 11:04 a.m. ET:
The explosion at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport was "a complex attack that resulted in a number of U.S. and civilian casualties," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a tweet.
He added at another explosion took place near the Baron Hotel, located nearby.
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. We will continue to update.
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021
Update 11:03 a.m. ET:
President Biden was in the White House Situation Room with his top national security aides discussing the situation in Afghanistan when the explosion at the airport happened. Biden was briefed on the explosion, a White House official told NPR's Franco Ordoñez.
Taliban fighters stand on a pickup truck outside a hospital as volunteers bring injured people for treatment after two powerful explosions outside the airport in Kabul. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
Update 10:42 a.m. ET:
According to a U.S. official, three U.S. Marines were wounded in the explosion at the airport gate. There may be at least a dozen people injured; their nationalities are not known right now.
Update 10:35 a.m. ET:
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul says the blast took place at the "Abbey Gate" of the airport. It's one of the entrances to the airport that the embassy had specifically asked U.S. citizens to avoid due to a heightened fears of an attack.
A statement from the embassy Thursday says there are reports of ongoing gunfire. It adds that U.S. citizens "should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time."
The embassy's latest security alert is here.
Original story posted at 10:10 a.m. ET :
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed reports of an explosion outside of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday.
"Casualties are unclear at this time," he wrote in a tweet. "We will provide additional details when we can."
The White House, State Department, Pentagon and U.S. Embassy in Kabul have all been warning of heightened threat from ISIS-K militants in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the ongoing evacuation effort there.
In a security alert on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul urged Americans outside the gates of the airport to leave the area immediately, citing security threats. Officials also cautioned U.S. citizens against travel to the airport.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.
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