BREAKING: Explosion Rocks Kabul Airport
According to the Pentagon, a massive explosion shook Kabul airport on Thursday, after Western governments warned of an impending terror threat and thousands of civilians waited for a flight out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
“We can confirm that there was an explosion outside Kabul International Airport. At this time, the number of casualties remains unknown. When we have further information, we will give it,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
The regional chapter of the Islamic State jihadist group posed a “acute” terrorist threat, according to US President Joe Biden.
The US government and its allies had issued a series of cautions advising citizens to stay away from the airport.
The terror advisories were vague, but Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo mentioned a threat from suicide bombers.
London also issued a warning to its nationals, advising them to “leave Afghanistan securely by other means as soon as possible.”
– ‘Truly painful’ – Since the hardline Taliban movement gained control of the country on August 15, more than 95,000 Afghans and foreigners have evacuated Afghanistan via the US-led airlift.
Huge throngs continued to swarm the airport, desperate for a way out of Taliban authority as the August 31 deadline set by Biden to cease evacuations and withdraw troops approached.
Even when some other countries feared they would be forced to leave at-risk Afghans behind, Biden and his advisors have refused to bend on the strict deadline.
The Pentagon had stated earlier on Thursday that activities will continue until the deadline.
However, several Western partners, notably Canada, have already completed their airlift operations, describing it as “very painful” to leave those who wished to be rescued behind.
– The Islamic State menace – The Islamic State’s Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the bloodiest strikes in both countries in recent years.
Civilians have been slaughtered in mosques, shrines, public squares, and even hospitals.
The gang has targeted Muslims from heterodox sects, such as Shiites, in particular.
