The bombing that hit Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on Thursday (26) also killed American soldiers, who are withdrawing from the country, the United States Department of Defense has confirmed.
According to the Reuters news agency, there are four US servicemen among the victims. In total, the death toll could reach up to 20 people, including children, according to the Taliban, who run the city.
Two explosions hit the outskirts of the airport, where Afghans and Westerners are massing to try for a place in the evacuation of the country led by the United States under the Taliban.
One of them took place at the main entrance to the terminal, Abbey Gate, and another near the Baron Hotel, near the airport, according to the Pentagon. The US government has said more attacks could occur in the region.
At least 60 injured were treated in a hospital in Kabul. Afghan civilians, Taliban soldiers and five US servicemen are among those affected – one of the US soldiers was seriously injured, US officials say. The country’s embassy in Kabul also reported gunfire.
The attacks come after the White House and its allies warned of imminent risks of terrorist acts by the Afghan wing of Islamic State, an adversary of the Taliban, which impacted the country’s withdrawal process .
US officials told the Associated Press that they believed the terrorist group was responsible for what the Pentagon described as a “complex attack.” The Taliban have denied authorship and said the Americans are responsible for the security of the region.
On Thursday afternoon, one of the group’s spokespersons posted a statement on Twitter in which he said he “strongly condemns” the attack, “which took place in an area where US forces are. responsible for security “. The group also said that “it pays great attention to the safety and protection of its staff.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned what he called a “terrorist attack that killed and injured civilians”.