Kabul: There were two explosions on the 26th around the international airport in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The militant group “Islamic State” (IS) has issued a statement of crime, and the US military has pointed out that it was a suicide bomber at least once. More than 70 people, including 12 US soldiers, are estimated to have died, according to US media.
According to the commander of the Central Command, Mackenzie, who has jurisdiction over the Middle East region in the US military, IS fighters carried out a suicide bombing near “Abby Gate,” one of the entrances to the airport. Other fighters then fired at US soldiers and Afghan citizens. The U.S. military was checking at Abbey Gate to see if anyone wishing to leave the country had weapons before entering the airport.
Another explosion occurred at the Baron Hotel, a few hundred meters from Abbey Gate. McKenzie said he was investigating the technique. Baron Hotel is said to be used by many foreigners. The US military used a helicopter to move 169 Americans from the hotel to the airport on the 19th.
Twelve US soldiers were killed and 15 were injured in two explosions. At least 60 Afghans have died, according to US media. It is reported that more than 200 people were injured.
According to Reuters, IS issued a statement of crime through official media on the 26th, claiming that it “killed about 60 people, including (Islamist organization) Taliban fighters, and injured more than 100 people.” “We expect IS attacks to continue,” McKenzie said, showing a strong sense of caution against additional attacks. On the other hand, he emphasized that support for the evacuation of Americans and Afghans will continue.
US President Joe Biden will issue a statement about the terrorist attack in Kabul at 5 pm EST on the 26th.
The Taliban accused the explosion, emphasizing that it “has paid attention to people’s safety” in a statement on the same day. British Prime Minister Johnson emphasized the idea of continuing evacuation activities, saying that “(the explosion) will not hinder our progress.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also announced that she will continue to support the evacuation. Merkel canceled his planned outing on the 28th and 30th. French President Emmanuel Macron said, “We will cooperate with the United States”.