Two explosions outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday appear to have been carried out by suicide bombers from the Islamic State group. Dozens of people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed the explosions, saying one was a "complex attack" at an airport entry gate on the civilian side of the airport, and a second took place outside of a hotel near the airport. Kirby said a number of casualties include U.S. service members and civilians.
While Kirby didn't provide additional details, multiple reports say the explosions appear to be a suicide attack. A U.S. official said the Islamic State group is "definitely believed" to be responsible for the attack.
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More than 60 people were killed and at least 140 were injured, Afghan health officials told reporters, warning that the number could grow.
At least 12 U.S. service members were among the dead, including 11 Marines and one Navy medic, and 15 others were wounded, said Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, head of the US Central Command.
"Right now, our focus is going forward and ensuring another attack of this nature does not occur," McKenzie said during a briefing. "Typically the pattern is multiple attacks and we want to be prepared and be ready to defend against that."
McKenzie said the Pentagon is working to determine who is responsible for the "cowardly attack" and that the U.S. is "prepared to take action against them."
The explosion went off in a crowd of people waiting to enter the airport, witness Adam Khan told the AP. He said several people appeared to have been killed or wounded, including some who lost body parts.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul described the explosion as "large" and said there were reports of gunfire. Embassy officials urged Americans to avoid travel to the airport until further notice.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the twin suicide bombings a "horrific terrorist attack."
The White House issued a statement saying President Joe Biden met with his national security team and will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day.
Thousands of people have been flocking the airport since earlier this month, after the Taliban overran the Afghan government and took over the country.
Several countries had urged people to avoid the airport Thursday after warnings emerged about a credible threat from Afghanistan's Islamic State group affiliate, the AP reported.
The incident happened as the U.S. continues mass evacuations ahead of the August 31 deadline for the final exit from a 20-year war in Afghanistan. So far, more 82,000 people have been evacuated -- including about 4,500 American citizens out of an estimated 6,000 who were known to be in the country -- in one of the largest U.S. airlifts in history, according to the AP.
At least 13 countries have agreed to temporarily house Afghan refugees until they can be resettled.
This is a developing situation. Updates will be provided.
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