Multiple fatalities amongst civilians & US service personnel due to bomb explosions at Kabul airport

[Robert]

Multiple fatalities amongst civilians & US service personnel due to bomb explosions at Kabul airport

There have been twin bomb attacks at Kabul airport which the Taliban say killed at least 13 people

Explosions took place outside the Abbey Gate - where US and British forces have been stationed - and at a nearby hotel

The Pentagon says there have been a number of US dead in what was a "complex" attack. US media say four Marines were killed

Boris Johnson says the attack is "despicable" but it will not interrupt the UK's operation

The attack came after warnings there could be militant attacks, as nations evacuate people ahead of a 31 August deadline

Meanwhile, Canada has joined several European nations in wrapping up evacuation operations

Huge crowds of people have built up at Afghanistan's border with Pakistan as people try to flee Taliban rule

Westerners and Afghans who worked for foreign missions want to leave after Taliban militants came back to power

==

Looks like ISIL couldn’t wait for the Taliban deadline.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Taliban say blasts happened in area under US control

A spokesman for the Taliban has condemned the twin blasts in an area they say was under the control of the US military.

"The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing targeting civilians at Kabul airport," Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet.

The spokesman added the explosions "took place in an area where US forces are responsible for security".

Suhail Shaheen, another Taliban spokesman, said the group were "paying close attention to the security and protection of its people" in another tweeted statement.

I got a feeling we might hear further bad news in upcoming days.

This attack was expected, both Taliban and CIA were warning people of it...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

more attacks at airport likely - veteran us colonel
mike jason, a former us army battalion commander who was deployed to afghanistan, said that observers “all knew that this was going to happen”.

“the targets are just too lucrative and the symbolic gesture just too attractive to these people,” he said.

Analysts believe the blasts are probably the work of isis-k, the afghan affiliate of islamic state.

Col jason said he believed isis-k would "absolutely” make another attempt to attack the evacuations.

“they’ve got the resources and they’ve got the reach,” he said. “they’ve also got targets - the crowds of defenceless people who are desperate.”

col jason, who is working with a non-profit called allied airlift 21 that is aimed at evacuating us afghan allies, said: “we have precious little time and we have to fight. We have five days until the final american pullout, and we don’t know what happens afterwards".

bbc

 

[MenInG]

At least four US military personnel killed - Reuters

We've just reported the Pentagon's confirmation that "a number" of US troops were killed in the blast.

Reuters news agency is now reporting at least four US military personnel died, citing unnamed sources.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/explosion-outside-kabul-airport-casualties-unclear-pentagon-2021-08-26/

There were at least two explosions near Kabul's airport amid a huge and chaotic evacuation effort from Afghanistan on Thursday, the Pentagon said, with civilians and U.S. service members among the casualties of what was described as a "complex attack."

U.S. officials said they were concerned that further attacks could occur at the airport following the twin blasts, which a Taliban official said killed at least 13 people, including children, and wounded many Taliban guards.

A U.S. official, citing initial information, told Reuters as many as five U.S. military personnel may have been hurt, including at least one seriously. U.S. officials have said there are about 5,200 American troops providing security at the Kabul airport.

The attacks came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area because of a threat by Islamic State militants.

A source familiar with U.S. congressional briefings said U.S. officials strongly believe that the Afghan affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), after an old name for the region, was responsible. ISIS-K is opposed by the United States and the Taliban.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport's Abbey Gate and the other close to the nearby Baron Hotel. Two U.S. officials said at least one of the explosions appeared to be from a suicide bombing.

"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," Kirby said on twitter. "We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate."

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul described "a large explosion" and said there had been reports of gunfire.

A source who was in touch with a witness by text message quoted that witness as saying there appeared to have been two separate but simultaneous attacks, one by a suicide bomber near buses lined up outside Abbey Gate, where the blast was followed by small arms fire.

The second occurred at Baron Gate, named after the nearby Baron Hotel. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, quoted the witness as saying that children were among the casualties.

The attacks came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area because of a threat by Islamic State.

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 Aug. 15, capping a swift advance across the country as U.S. and allied troops withdrew.

The United States has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country by Aug. 31. There was no indication from the White House that Biden plans to change the Aug. 31 withdrawal target as a result of the attacks, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Biden was in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, where the United States is in the final steps of ending its 20-year war, when the explosion was first reported, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Biden, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored events via video links.

In an alert issued on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul had advised citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and said those already at the gates should leave immediately, citing unspecified "security threats."

A Western diplomat in Kabul said that areas outside the airport gates had been "incredibly crowded" again despite the warnings.

The United States and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations in history, bringing out about 95,700 people, including 13,400 on Wednesday, the White House said on Thursday.

 

[MenInG]

Taliban condemns bombing outside Kabul airport - Reuters

A Taliban spokesperson has condemned the suicide attack in Kabul, according to Reuters news agency.

They also confirmed the blasts happened in an area controlled by US forces.

"The Islamic Emirate is paying close attention to the security and protection of its people, and evil circles will be strictly stopped," said Zabihullah Mujahid.

It's thought terror group ISIS-K are behind the attack, although they have not made an announcement on this yet.

ISIS-K and the Taliban are not allies and it's believed Taliban members were injured in the attack.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#کابل</a> ائیرپورٹ پر بھاگتے ہزاروں لوگوں کے مناظر <br>پس منظر میں ہونے والی فائرنگ کی آوازیں سنی جا سکتی ہیں<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabulairport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabulairport</a> <a href="https://t.co/RLOfwJ6El3">pic.twitter.com/RLOfwJ6El3</a></p>— افغان اردو (@AfghanUrdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/AfghanUrdu/status/1430945546454409218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

People feeing Kabul Airport...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

What we know about the attack
If you are just joining us, here's the latest on the blasts.

Twin bomb blasts have struck civilians trying to flee Afghanistan at Kabul airport
The Taliban say at least 13 people were killed, with videos from the scene appearing to show piles of bodies
Bombs targeted the Abbey Gate area - where US troops are stationed helping to process evacuees
Four US Marines were killed in the attack, US media report
A local hospital says it has received 60 injured so far, with at least six patients dead on arrival
The bomb blasts came hours after warnings an attack by an Islamist group may be imminent
It came on the same day that several countries ended their evacuation efforts
Britain will continue evacuations for now, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said after an emergency meeting with security advisers

bbc news

 

[MenInG]

More than 60 Afghan civilians killed and 150 wounded - report

The Wall Street Journal is reporting an updated number of those killed and injured in today's attack, citing a health official.

 

[KingKhanWC]

According to Biden there is no Al-Q or ISIS in Afghanistan.

Imo this attack is by certain nations who want the occupation to continue.

But its too late.

RIP to the Afghan civilians who once again have been killed as a result of an invasion 20 years ago.

 

[rockyboy2018]

Is the Pakistan border open to Afghan refugees?

 

[MenInG]

At least 10 US service members killed - Reuters

Reuters news agency is now reporting at least 10 US troops were killed in the attack outside Kabul airport, citing a US official.

So far, we have confirmation from the Pentagon that "a number" of American servicemen have died.

There's yet to be any official confirmation on the number killed, but we'll bring you that update as soon as we have it.

This number is expected to rise, according to one Reuters correspondent.

 

[OldWarHorse]

Its Libya all over again. What a botched job from US and NATO

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Man, these terrorists are worse than animals.

"I saw a baby there and I went to her and I picked her up and started taking her to the hospital."

"I took her to the hospital, but she died on my hands," he said, estimating her age to be around five years old.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Wouldn't be surprised it there was elements of the routed Afghan govt involved, certainly some of their more unsavoury allies. They are definitely the ones most angry at western forces departure from the arena.

 

[sweep_shot]

ISIS and Taliban don't get along. They have some theological differences I believe.

Taliban is a deobandi group while ISIS is an extreme salafi group. That's where the difference lies.

I hope these bloodsheds will be over and life will go back to normal.

 

[KingKhanWC]

ISIS and Taliban don't get along. They have some theological differences I believe.

Taliban is a deobandi group while ISIS is an extreme salafi group. That's where the difference lies.

I hope these bloodsheds will be over and life will go back to normal.

ISIS are a covert western intelligence group. Mercenaries claiming to be fighting for some religious cause. Its leaders were recruited from Camp Buca in Iraq.

These attackers are just paid terrorists by states who are upset with the Taliban taking control. You can guess the nations.

 

[pakistani pride]

Its Libya all over again. What a botched job from US and NATO

Botched?
Or just their intention from the get go.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

ISIS are a covert western intelligence group. Mercenaries claiming to be fighting for some religious cause. Its leaders were recruited from Camp Buca in Iraq.

These attackers are just paid terrorists by states who are upset with the Taliban taking control. You can guess the nations.

Well it's certainly weird how Isis couldn't get near US forces previously, and as soon as Taliban take over and Americans agree to leave, suddenly there's over a dozen American troops killed in one strike. Isis must be the only resistance force in history that is useless at fighting occupation forces, but suddenly becomes effective when they are going home.

 

[srh]

There have been twin bomb attacks at Kabul airport which the Taliban say killed at least 13 people

Explosions took place outside the Abbey Gate - where US and British forces have been stationed - and at a nearby hotel

The Pentagon says there have been a number of US dead in what was a "complex" attack. US media say four Marines were killed

Boris Johnson says the attack is "despicable" but it will not interrupt the UK's operation

The attack came after warnings there could be militant attacks, as nations evacuate people ahead of a 31 August deadline

Meanwhile, Canada has joined several European nations in wrapping up evacuation operations

Huge crowds of people have built up at Afghanistan's border with Pakistan as people try to flee Taliban rule

Westerners and Afghans who worked for foreign missions want to leave after Taliban militants came back to power

==

Looks like ISIL couldn’t wait for the Taliban deadline.

Its very strange. Yesterday I was reading a report from New York Times and it was specifically talking about an attack from ISIS on airport and today it occurred.

Here is an excerpt from the report:

U.S. officials say they are preparing to combat both immediate and longer-term terrorist challenges in Afghanistan. First and foremost is the threat at the Kabul airport.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said on Sunday that the threat from ISIS-K was “acute” and “persistent,” and that U.S. commanders and other officials were taking all possible steps to thwart any attacks.

That includes striking an unlikely accommodation with the Taliban, at least temporarily, not only to allow safe passage to American citizens and Afghan allies to the airport for flights out of the country, but also to actively defend against an ISIS-K attack.

The leaders of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan denounced the Taliban takeover of the country, criticizing their version of Islamic rule as insufficiently hard line, and the two groups have fought in recent years.

An attack on the airport, current and former U.S. officials said, would be a strategic blow to both the United States and the Taliban leadership, which is trying to demonstrate that it can control the country. Such a strike would bolster ISIS-K’s stature in the jihadi world, but that opportunity greatly diminishes after the last U.S. Marine or soldier pulls out.

https://us.yahoo.com/news/isis-branch-poses-biggest-immediate-181553431.html

 

[sweep_shot]

So, USA has lost 10+ troops.

What do they do now? More boots on the ground? I hope not.

Let Taliban deal with ISIS. I think Taliban can handle them well.

 

[Saj]

Reports of another explosion a short while ago.

 

[street cricketer]

Blast after blast happening right now.

God help the poor Afghans.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Blast after blast happening right now.

God help the poor Afghans.

According to Zabiullah Mujahid: Americans are destroying their equipment inside Kabul Airport

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">کابل میں شام کے وقت کئی دھماکے سنے گئے۔ <br>دھماکے امریکی افواج نے کابل ائیر پورٹ کے اندر اپنا سامان تباہ کرنے کے لیے کیے۔ کابل کے باشندے پریشان نہ ہوں۔<br>ذبیح اللہ مجاہد <a href="https://t.co/VWkcN2JQJm">pic.twitter.com/VWkcN2JQJm</a></p>— افغان اردو (@AfghanUrdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/AfghanUrdu/status/1430987195586945026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(Someone translate/correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Islamabad getting ready for upcoming Afghan refugees:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">پاکستان کے دارالحکومت اسلام آباد میں ہنگامی صورتحال<br>اسلام آباد انتظامیہ نے شہر کے تمام ہوٹلوں کو مقامی بکنگ ختم کرنے کا حکم دیا ہے، اور کابل سے اسلام آباد آنے والے ہزاروں لوگوں کو جگہ فراہم کرنے کےلیے تیار رہنے کا کہا ہے <a href="https://t.co/rhWNcQsERV">pic.twitter.com/rhWNcQsERV</a></p>— افغان اردو (@AfghanUrdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/AfghanUrdu/status/1430971063974993920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

So, USA has lost 10+ troops.

What do they do now? More boots on the ground? I hope not.

Let Taliban deal with ISIS. I think Taliban can handle them well.

As soon as Israel / India got their "peace-speaders" out of Kabul, this happens.

Yep, Israel had more than 300 agents working in Kabul (Reports).

If I were CIA / US military ; I wouldn't trust Israel / India right now. Too many coincidences...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

This is a clear conspiracy and foreign state sponsored terrorism against Afghans (and Americans)

The objective is for USA/NATO to keep their presence inside Afghanistan

And, I believe, we all know who are the warmongers...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Its very strange. Yesterday I was reading a report from New York Times and it was specifically talking about an attack from ISIS on airport and today it occurred.

Here is an excerpt from the report:



https://us.yahoo.com/news/isis-branch-poses-biggest-immediate-181553431.html

There was an Afghan who lost his voice as he was continuously screaming at people to go back homes and warning them...

Who is behind ISIS-K? Who benefits from continuous war in Afghanistan?

 

[mazkhan]

Inna lillahi wa inna alayhi rajioon

 

[Manunited18]

According to Biden there is no Al-Q or ISIS in Afghanistan.

Imo this attack is by certain nations who want the occupation to continue.

But its too late.

RIP to the Afghan civilians who once again have been killed as a result of an invasion 20 years ago.

I can smell a rat, neighbours last throw of the dice!

 

[cric_man]

Per Geo News,
3-4,000 US troops to be deployed in Karachi for the next month. All Afghans will be processed through Pakistan. Don't know which idiot agreed to that.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b9YBJqOvCIM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[PetroDollars]

Looks like NDS behind it, Afganistan going to be in civil war for a while now.

 

[Sycamore]

Horrific scenes, but the fore warning from every single agency that there would be attack on the day and at the airport is just baffling.

Someone is planning this whole thing, and all parties involved need to slow down and think, as for Pakistan and US I would say for now suspend refugee intake.

How do the Pakistanis and US know the people they are allowing in are legitimate and bad actors are not being funneled through.

 

[saeedhk]

Per Geo News,
3-4,000 US troops to be deployed in Karachi for the next month. All Afghans will be processed through Pakistan. Don't know which idiot agreed to that.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b9YBJqOvCIM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Because Pakistan would be a grant of millions of dollars. We never say no to US dollars.

 

[MenInG]

Joe Biden has warned those behind the attacks at Kabul's airport on Thursday: "We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay."

The US president was speaking after it emerged that 13 US service personnel - most of them Marines - were among the 72 people killed after two blasts and a gunfight outside Kabul's airport.

Some 143 people, including 15 US personnel, were injured in the attack, which came 12 days into an effort to evacuate thousands of people - foreign citizens and Afghans - from Kabul.

The US and its allies have until the end of August to get out of Afghanistan.

Mr Biden said the Americans who were killed in the attacks were "heroes" who were "engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save the lives of others".

The UK's Ministry of Defence has confirmed there were no fatalities among British military personnel or government workers.

Speaking from the White House on Thursday evening, Mr Biden said he had asked for plans to strike back at Isis-K, the Islamic State affiliate believed to have been responsible for the attacks.

He said: "We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place of our choosing.

"These ISIS terrorists will not win. We will rescue the Americans; we will get our Afghan allies out, and our mission will go on. America will not be intimidated."

Mr Biden also said more troops will be sent in if necessary, adding: "Whatever they need, if they need additional force, I will grant it."

ANALYSIS BY MARK STONE, SKY NEWS US CORRESPONDENT
A deeply emotional statement from the American president.

He displayed the empathy he has been known for. He drew on his own experiences - a son who served on combat missions; the loss of his own children.

"We have some sense of the feeling…" he said, adding that the loss is like being "sucked into a black hole with no way out."

But he also attempted to demonstrate power, strength and steadfastness.

"We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay." he said of the ISIS-K terrorists.

"We must complete this mission and we will. We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will continue the evacuation."

He revealed that he believed he knows where ISIS-K terrorists are located and he says he will give commanders on the ground whatever they need.

The attacks have increased the pressure on Mr Biden, who had justified the withdrawal as a means of preventing American deaths in what he described as Afghanistan's civil war.

On 20 August, days after the Taliban took Kabul, Mr Biden told reporters that remaining in Afghanistan any longer could mean he would need to "send your sons, your daughters - like my son was sent to Iraq - to maybe die. And for what? For what?"

But instead of preventing bloodshed, the chaotic evacuation has now resulted in the first US deaths in action in Afghanistan in 18 months.

On Thursday evening, Mr Biden again stood by his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, saying: "It was time to end this 20-year war."

The deadline for withdrawal agreed between the Taliban and Donald Trump during his presidency last year had been May, but Mr Biden pushed this back to the end of August.

Some European leaders had called for the date to be moved back further but the Taliban warned earlier in the week that such a move would be seen by them as crossing "a red line" and would "provoke a reaction".

The US and UK were continuing evacuation efforts on Thursday evening, while a number of other allies, including Canada and Germany announced their missions were over.

US General Frank McKenzie told a Pentagon news conference that about 5,000 evacuees were on the airfield awaiting flights and that as many as 1,000 Americans and many more Afghans were still trying to leave Kabul.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the UK had evacuated more than 13,000 people from Afghanistan and operations would continue.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

The expected Indian angle:

==

In the wake of one of the most wretched bomb blasts, top Afghan sources told CNN-News18 that the peace deal process may have released a number of “dangerous and deadly" prisoners who are responsible for the attack. Among them, Pakistan’s ISIS face Emir Mawalawi Abdullah Farooqi may be behind the blasts.

Farooqi was also part of the Gurudwara attack in Kabul that killed 27 people. During investigations he had admitted of being involved in the attack and also accepted the role of Pakistan in orchestrating the blasts.

Farooqui was earlier with LeT group and then Tehreek-e-Taliban. He replaced Mawlawi Zia-ul-Haq aka Abu Omar Khorasani as ISKP chief in April 2019. With him, four Pakistani nationals were also arrested as part of LeT.

They were Masoudullah from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khan Mohammad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Salman from Karachi and Ali Mohammad from Islamabad.

CNN News18 had reported about this arrest and their interrogation report in April 2020.

Meanwhile, top Indian intelligence sources said that the death toll is higher.

“Strong possibility after release he with his old partner have done this blast and Pakistani agencies also wanted this. Pakistan wants to create uncertainty in the region for their terror plots and threat to develop countries for money," said sources.

https://www.news18.com/news/world/p...rooqi-behind-deadly-kabul-blasts-4132400.html

 

[Rajdeep]

This is a clear conspiracy and foreign state sponsored terrorism against Afghans (and Americans)

The objective is for USA/NATO to keep their presence inside Afghanistan

And, I believe, we all know who are the warmongers...

These kind of bombings were a regular occurence in Iraq back in the days when Saddam was toppled. Too many ideological groups takes the route of violence to take advantage of the vaccum that gets created when a govt gets toppled.

Blaming India/foreign power is an escape route for some but the reality is totally different and the world is aware of it very well too.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kabul is bleeding again &#55357;&#56866;&#55357;&#56866;&#55357;&#56468;&#55357;&#56468; <br>STOP KILLING AFGHAN PLEASE &#55357;&#56911;&#55357;&#56911;&#55357;&#56866;&#55357;&#56866;&#55356;&#56806;&#55356;&#56811;&#55356;&#56806;&#55356;&#56811;</p>— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashidkhan_19/status/1430935177858060295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

These kind of bombings were a regular occurence in Iraq back in the days when Saddam was toppled. Too many ideological groups takes the route of violence to take advantage of the vaccum that gets created when a govt gets toppled.

Blaming India/foreign power is an escape route for some but the reality is totally different and the world is aware of it very well too.

Iraq was a free for all where mainly Arabs were getting blown to pieces. Here we have seen significant US troops being killed, I just can't see any two bit terrorist getting that close to them without some significant intelligence input from a major power. Americans would normally have safeguards in place to prevent such risk.

For that reason I also agree that it seems unlikely that India could be involved, just don't think you have the capability or balls to risk getting caught. Most likely disgruntled former Afghan govt factions in my opinion. Maybe with some help from previous sponsors, which did include India it has to be said.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I express my deepest condolences to my countrymen lost their lives in today’s attack in the vicinity fo Kabul airport. We condemn such attacks on the strongest possible terms and urge the world to help Afghans get through these tough times. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulBlast?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulBlast</a> <a href="https://t.co/lJP5GKFuAE">pic.twitter.com/lJP5GKFuAE</a></p>— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohammadNabi007/status/1430972798562930691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[OMB]

Death toll increases to 170 people - report

CBS News is now reporting 170 Afghan civilians were killed in yesterday's attack, including 32 men, three women and three children.

A further 132 are unidentifiable, and nearly 200 people have been injured.

Official figures suggest 95 civilians and 13 US military personnel were killed.

 

[Last Monetarist]

These kind of bombings were a regular occurence in Iraq back in the days when Saddam was toppled. Too many ideological groups takes the route of violence to take advantage of the vaccum that gets created when a govt gets toppled.

Blaming India/foreign power is an escape route for some but the reality is totally different and the world is aware of it very well too.

If foreign powers are involved in these attacks, then the only plausible options are China and Russia. The former of which is engaged in open warfare against the United States and the West, the latter not averse to causing nominal chaos either.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-says-kabul-attack-carried-out-by-one-suicide-bomber-2021-08-27/

A deadly attack in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Thursday was carried out by a single suicide bomber at a gate to the airport and there was no second explosion at a nearby hotel, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The Kabul airport attack, which killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 79 Afghans, was claimed by Islamic State militants. The Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, ISIS-Khorosan, has emerged as an enemy of both the West and of the Taliban.

The attack marked the first U.S. military casualties in Afghanistan since February 2020 and represented the deadliest incident for American troops there in a decade.

U.S. General Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, had said on Thursday that initial information was that two suicide bombers had attacked the airport gate and the nearby Baron hotel.

"I can confirm for you that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, that it was one suicide bomber," Army Major General William Taylor told reporters on Friday. He said U.S. troops wounded in the attack were now being treated in Germany.

Taylor said about 300 U.S. citizens had been evacuated in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Americans evacuated to about 5,100.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told the reporters during the same briefing that the United States believed there are still "specific, credible" threats against the airport.

"We certainly are prepared and would expect future attempts," Kirby said, adding: "We're monitoring these threats, very, very specifically, virtually in real time."

U.S. officials have said the biggest threat facing the airport are potential rocket attacks or car bombs.

Thursday's attack occurred during a U.S.-led evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The Taliban came to power nearly two weeks ago as foreign forces began withdrawing, ending a 20-year war.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

If foreign powers are involved in these attacks, then the only plausible options are China and Russia. The former of which is engaged in open warfare against the United States and the West, the latter not averse to causing nominal chaos either.

The only people who would want to bomb Americans leaving would be those wanting to give them a reason to stay. That's not likely to be either China or Russia.

 

[srh]

The only people who would want to bomb Americans leaving would be those wanting to give them a reason to stay. That's not likely to be either China or Russia.

The bolded part is truth. The private contractors, blackwater could be involved. ISIS might be another face of them. If you see the history of ISIS you will see their actions make occupation acceptable.

Remember Biden is under tremendous pressure to put US forces back in Afghanistan. The western media has been crying out loud about it. Then these acts put even more pressure on Biden. Fortunately most of americans are against staying in Afghanistan. Huge majority of them (75%) were against staying in Afghanistan before. Now with Taliban takeover and western media's nonstop campaign for war, now the number of americans against staying in Afghanistan has dwindled but is still over 50%.

 

[globalcitizen]

conspiracy theorists were pointing fingers at unrelated entities for suicide attacks. But Biden gave instructions to bomb the ISIS today. On target.

 

[MenInG]

The US has killed an Islamic State "planner" in retaliation for Thursday's suicide bombing in Kabul.

Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for US Central Command, said the US military had conducted a drone strike against an Islamic State member in Afghanistan's Nangahar Province, which borders Pakistan.

The strike killed one person and there were no known civilian casualties, he said.

The move was in retaliation for a devastating suicide bombing by Islamic State offshoot ISIS-K, which killed between 92 and 169 Afghans, 13 US military personnel, along with two Britons.

It is not clear whether the planner killed by the US had been involved in Thursday's attack near the city's airport, where thousands of people had been trying to reach evacuation flights to escape the incoming Taliban regime.

But two defence officials told NBC News that the target was an ISIS-K fighter thought to be planning future attacks.

The unnamed fighter had been riding in a vehicle with an associate at the time of the strike, which was carried out by an MQ-9 Reaper drone using munitions chosen for precision and in order to minimise civilian casualties, they said.

Friday's airstrike goes some way to fulfilling a promise made by US President Joe Biden to retaliate against those behind the airport attack.

In a message to the perpetrators on Thursday evening, he had said: "We will hunt you down and make you pay."

More than 2,400 US service members died in the 20-year war in Afghanistan but the attack outside Kabul's airport was the deadliest day since 2011.

The 13 were also the first US casualties in Afghanistan since February 2020, despite Mr Biden insisting that the withdrawal of troops was intended to stop American lives being lost.

The US and other foreign troops have until Tuesday to get out of Afghanistan, although most countries have finished their efforts to evacuate citizens and Afghans.

The White House said that, as of Friday morning, about 12,500 people had been evacuated from Kabul in the previous 24 hours on US and coalition aircraft.

In the 12 hours that followed, another 4,200 were airlifted out and the US State Department was working with around 500 more Americans who want to leave.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the final few days would be "our most dangerous period to date", as the US State Department issued a warning telling American citizens still in Kabul to stay away from the airport gates for their own safety.

Meanwhile, British troops are preparing for a final push in their evacuation efforts.

More than 1,000 eligible people are set to be left behind and there have been warnings that another attack in the area is likely.

'There is no word to explain my pain'

The Ministry of Defence has said that only those UK nationals and Afghans already processed will be allowed on evacuation planes, so that space can be found for the remaining UK diplomats and military personnel.

The evacuation operation centre at the Baron Hotel, which was being used to process those leaving, has now closed.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that between 800 and 1,100 Afghans eligible to come to the UK would be left behind, while up to 150 Britons will be left in Afghanistan, some of them having decided to remain.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Another attack on Kabul airport is highly likely, US President Joe Biden has warned, saying commanders have told him it could come as early as Sunday.

The state department has urged all US citizens to leave the area near the airport because of a "specific, credible threat".

The US is continuing evacuations but the final UK troops, diplomats and officials have now left Kabul.

A suicide bombing near the airport on Thursday resulted in some 170 deaths.

A local branch of the Islamic State group - Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-K) - claimed the attack.

In retaliation, the US carried out a drone strike on eastern Afghanistan late on Friday, saying it had killed two "high-profile" IS-K members.


The two are described as a planner and a facilitator. It is unclear whether they were directly involved in planning the Kabul airport attack.

"This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay," Mr Biden said in a statement released on Saturday.

IS-K is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan and has major differences with the Taliban, who now control most of the country. It accuses them of abandoning the battlefield in favour of a negotiated peace settlement with the Americans.

The Taliban condemned the air strike, saying the Americans should have consulted them first, a spokesman told Reuters news agency.

US troops have begun their withdrawal from the airport - their numbers are now down to 4,000, from a peak of 5,800 in the past week.

The next few days are likely to be the most dangerous since the evacuation began, White House officials say.

Just over 1,000 civilians remain to be airlifted from Kabul airport, an unnamed Western official told Reuters news agency.

The Taliban have set up further layers of checkpoints around the airport and are not allowing most Afghans through, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

In all, more than 110,000 people - both Afghans and foreign nationals - have been evacuated from Kabul airport since the airlift began two weeks ago.

On Saturday, Italy's final flight from Afghanistan arrived in Rome. Italy said it had evacuated almost 5,000 Afghan citizens from Kabul - the highest number of any EU country.

France said it had flown out more than 2,800 since 17 August, while Germany said it had taken about 4,000 Afghans.

The head of the UK's armed forces, General Sir Nick Carter, said it was "heartbreaking" that they had not been able to rescue everyone.

With the possibility of leaving by air now dwindling, many Afghans are reportedly now trying to escape the country via the land border with Pakistan, to the east.

The border gates near the southern town of Spin Boldak are open and some people have been making it through. One of the main border crossings, at Torkham, is closed.

France and Britain will urge the UN to create a "safe zone" in Kabul to help evacuation efforts, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

He said it would allow the international community to carry out humanitarian work and "maintain pressure on the Taliban".

Since the Taliban took Kabul on 15 August, the Afghan economy has been in freefall as aid donors freeze funds and panicked depositors seek to withdraw their money from banks.

On Saturday crowds of protesters gathered outside banks in the Afghan capital.

"If the situation continues and employees of the government don't get their salaries and a businessman cannot get his money from the bank for trading, the result of this is very horrible, and there will be poverty in the society as well, and no one can solve that issue," one man told Reuters.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

More now on the reports that the US today carried out a military strike on suspected members of the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group, IS-K.

US officials have now said the operation, which involved a missile launched from a drone, targeted a suicide bomber in a vehicle who was aiming to carry out an attack at Kabul airport.

"We are confident we hit the target we were aiming for," a military official told the BBC's US partner network CBS.

"Initial reports indicate there were no civilian casualties," the official said, adding: "Secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material."

A spokesman for the Taliban also said the US airstrike had targeted a suspected bomber travelling in a car, according to the Associated Press.

It comes after witnesses reported a rocket strike near the airport, although it is not clear if the two incidents are connected.

A bombing at Kabul airport last Thursday killed as many as 170 people, including 13 US troops.

 

[MenInG]

Multiple rockets fired at Kabul airport have been intercepted by a missile defence system, a US official has told Reuters news agency.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said up to five rockets were fired early this morning, although it was not clear if all were brought down by the defence system.

Initial reports did not indicate any US casualties but that information could change, the official added.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation.

"The president was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritise doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground," Ms Psaki said in a statement.

 

[OMB]

10 Including Children Killed In US Airstrike In Kabul: Local Media

Afghanistan crisis: The US airstrike in Kabul was carried out against a suspected ISIS-K car bomb targeting the airport, the US Central Command said on Sunday.

At least 10 people, including children, were killed in the US airstrike that took place in Kabul on Sunday, Tolo News reported.
The developments came after the US carried out a "self-defensive" airstrike in Kabul against a suspected ISIS-K car bomb targeting the airport, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.

This blast occurred merely two days after twin blasts rocked Kabul, which killed nearly 200 people, including 13 US servicemen.

Earlier on Sunday, another explosion was also reported in Kabul after a rocket landed on a residential building near the Hamid Karzai International Airport, Sputnik reported.

"US military forces conducted a self-defence unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport," said Capt. Bill Urban, CENTCOM spokesperson.

"We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material," the statement added.

This comes as the US is on the verge of completing its exit from Afghanistan.

In other recent developments, at least five rockets have been fired toward the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Monday, a US official told ABC news.

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The US military engaged the C-RAM missile defence, but, according to ABC News, it is still unclear whether all of the rockets were successfully intercepted.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/afghanistan-crisis-10-including-children-killed-in-us-airstrike-in-kabul-local-media-2523618

 

[MenInG]

The US military has said it is investigating after at least nine Afghan civilians were reportedly killed in a drone strike which aimed to prevent an attack on Kabul airport.

The strike targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group, US Central Command said.

It is unclear how the civilians died.

Information being shared by Kabul residents suggest four young children were among the casualties.

A relative told US network CNN that all nine people were members of one family.

A US Central Command statement acknowledged there were a number of "substantial and powerful subsequent explosions" after the strike hit the car that was being targeted.

It said the explosions suggested there had been "a large amount of explosive material inside, that may have caused additional casualties".

The US has been on high alert since a suicide bomber killed more than 100 civilians and 13 US troops outside the airport last Thursday. A local branch of the so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Many of those killed had been hoping to board one of the evacuation flights leaving the city, which fell to the Taliban on 15 August.

The US had repeatedly warned of an increase in attacks as 31 August - the date set for the Americans' withdrawal from Afghanistan - drew closer.

On Monday, a US anti-missile system intercepted rockets flying over the capital towards the airport, an official told Reuters news agency.

Video and pictures carried by local news outlets showed smoke wafting across the rooftops of Kabul, and what appeared to be a burning car on a street.

The White House said President Joe Biden was briefed on the rocket attack.

"The President was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA (Kabul airport), and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

No US or Afghan casualties have been reported so far from Monday's incident.

The United States has installed an anti-rocket and mortar system to protect the airport from further attacks.

Later on Monday, British ministers and officials will be taking part in a number of international meetings aimed at defining a joint approach to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will hold talks with his counterparts from the G7 group of wealthy countries, as well as Nato and Qatar.

At the United Nations in New York, France and Britain are expected to propose a Security Council resolution calling for a safe zone in Kabul to protect people trying to leave the country.

 

[Markhor]

As soon as Israel / India got their "peace-speaders" out of Kabul, this happens.

Yep, Israel had more than 300 agents working in Kabul (Reports).

If I were CIA / US military ; I wouldn't trust Israel / India right now. Too many coincidences...

Care to share a link to these reports ?

 

[saeedhk]

3000 American servicemen have landed in Pakistan.

 

[Bewal Express]

3000 American servicemen have landed in Pakistan.

And

 

[MenInG]

Ten members of one Afghan family were killed following a US drone strike in Kabul, according to relatives.

The drone strike on Sunday was aimed at a vehicle carrying "a substantial amount of explosive material" and heading to Kabul airport, US officials said.

 

[sweep_shot]

Ten members of one Afghan family were killed following a US drone strike in Kabul, according to relatives.

The drone strike on Sunday was aimed at a vehicle carrying "a substantial amount of explosive material" and heading to Kabul airport, US officials said.

When terrorists kill = terrorism.
When USA kills = collateral damage.

Yankees should leave Afghanistan alone after August 31.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Care to share a link to these reports ?

People who were working at Kabul Airport / Twitter.

None from a credible news source.