After the explosions that killed at least 72 people, including 12 American soldiers, the United States said it was determined to reprimand the perpetrators of the attacks on Thursday (26), claimed by the Islamic State.
“We are working very hard right now to determine who is the perpetrator, who is associated with this cowardly attack and we are ready to act against them. 24/7 [24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana] we are looking for them, ”the head of the US military command, General Kenneth McKenzie, told a press conference.
McKenzie confirmed that the attacks killed 12 U.S. servicemen and injured 15 others. The number of Afghans killed in Thursday’s attack meanwhile reached 60, according to the Wall Street Journal, bringing the total number of victims to at least 72.
It was the first death of U.S. officers in Afghanistan since February 2020, when two soldiers were killed and six wounded after a man in Afghan army uniform opened fire with a machine gun. According to the Brown University (US) War Costs Observatory, approximately 2,300 American soldiers died in Afghanistan in 2019.
Although he underscored the US determination to act against the perpetrators, the head of the military command said the focus was now on no further attacks. “We have other active threats,” he explained. “The model is made up of multiple attacks and we want to be prepared and ready to defend ourselves.”
About 5,200 military personnel provide security at the airport, according to the United States, while the United States forces lead the withdrawal operation, whose completion deadline is August 31, and coordinate the rescue of diplomats in the passenger terminal, western and afghan. citizens who helped the occupation.
The two explosions of this farm reached the approaches to the terminal, where Afghans and Westerners are concentrated to attempt a wave of evacuation of the country, since the 15th, controlled by the fundamentalist group Taliban after a rapid offensive.
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 embassy in Kabul also reported gunfire.
At least 60 injured have been treated in a Kabul hospital, and the Wall Street Journal lists 150 in all. Afghan civilians, Taliban soldiers and the US military are among those affected.
The attacks come after the White House and its allies warned of the imminent risks of terrorist acts by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, an adversary of the Taliban, which impacted the country’s withdrawal process – the group now in power has denied authorship and claimed that whoever takes care of the security of the region is the Americans.
On Thursday afternoon, one of the Taliban 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”.