Kabul Airport Blast News: Turmoil engulfed Kabul after the Afghanistan government crumpled and the Taliban took over, all ending the US 20-year-long struggle. Several thousand gathered near Kabul’s international airport to leave Taliban ruled Afghanistan. Two strong blasts killed at least 60 civilians and 13 US service members. Know the details.

Kabul Blast News Update: Highlights

• On Thursday, two powerful explosions occurred outside Kabul’s international airport
• The blasts occurred during the evacuation of people ahead of August 31 withdrawal deadline
• At least 60 civilians killed and more than 180 wounded
• Pentagon confirms 13 US service members death and 18 injured
• Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans
• One blast near the airport’s Abbey Gate and the other nearby Baron Hotel
• US officials and allies had warned of the threat of an attack
• Tens of thousands of people were outside the Abbey Gate
• ISKP (ISIS-K), affiliate of the ISIL (ISIS), claimed responsibility for the attack

Two Powerful Explosions Outside Kabul’s International Airport

On Thursday, tens of thousands of people had been waiting outside the Abbey Gate of the airport in the hope of leaving Afghanistan. Two suicide bombers and gunmen assaulted crowds. At least 60 civilians have been killed and more than 180 civilians were wounded in two explosions amid a massive and disorganized evacuation effort from Afghanistan.

United States Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed one blast occurred near the airport’s Abbey Gate and the other near the Baron Hotel. Kirby expressed on Twitter, “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,” “We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.”

Kabul Airport Blast News: 13 US Service Members Died and 18 Injured

A total of 13 US service members were killed because of the attack on Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport Thursday and the total number of injured is 18, said Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesperson for CENTCOM. The injured are being evacuated from Afghanistan.

No Australian Soldiers Killed in Bomb Attack

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said on Friday, “No Australian soldiers have been killed in the bomb attack in Kabul at the airport and all troops have left Afghanistan before the strike.” The readers should know Australia was part of a NATO-led international force that fought the Taliban and trained security forces in Afghanistan in the years following their 2001 expulsion. More than 39,000 Australian soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan and 41 had been killed.

Kabul Airport Blast News: Chaotic Scenes Outside the Emergency Hospital

There were messy pictures outside the Emergency Hospital. Many cars and ambulances carried the wounded including the old and children. The family and relatives were searching their nears and dears. Many were unclear about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Western Capitals Had Issued Warnings

The Western capitals had warned of a threat from Afghanistan’s ISIL group affiliate. Late Wednesday, at three gates of Hamid Karzai International airport, the US Embassy has issued a warning to citizens to leave immediately due to an unspecified security threat. The acting US ambassador to Kabul Ross Wilson had also signaled about the danger, “clearly regarded as credible, as imminent, as compelling.”

• The Australian foreign minister had warned of a “very high threat of a terrorist attack.” British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey had stated there was ”very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack” at Kabul airport, possibly within “hours” 
• Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had also confirmed the “threat of suicide attacks on the mass of people”
• On the other side, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected that any attack was forthcoming in the wake of those warnings.

Kabul Airport Blast News: Taliban Sprayed a Water Cannon

On Thursday, in order to disperse and drive away the large crowd gathered at one airport gate, the Taliban sprayed a water cannon and used tear gas canisters.

Who Is Behind the Blasts?

The Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K) the Afghan affiliate of the ISIL (ISIS), claimed responsibility for the attack. For readers’ understanding, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP or ISKP) is operating in South Asia and Central Asia. 

■ Also Read: Taliban Afghanistan Conflict Updates: Taliban Fully Captures Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani Flees Afghanistan

It is a self-declared branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Interestingly, ISIL does not accept any connection with ISKP who are also known as ISK, ISISK, IS-KP, ISIS-K or Daesh-Khorasan. ISIL-KP is active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan. Some people in India claim to have affiliation with ISK.

World Community Reactions

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport. 

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who led the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) strongly condemned the terrorist attack at Kabul Airport.

Indian Government Calls to Unite

Indian Government’s MEA said in statement, “Today’s attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism…,” “India strongly condemns the bomb blasts in Kabul today….Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the injured,”

Kabul Airport Blast News: Former US President Donald Trump Criticises

Former US President Donald Trump issued a statement, “Melania and I send our deepest condolences to the families of our brilliant Service Members whose duty to the USA meant so much to them,” Trump said in a statement adding that “our thoughts are also with the families of the innocent civilians who died today in the savage Kabul attack.” “This tragedy should have never been allowed to happen, which makes our grief even deeper and more difficult to understand,”

Kabul Airport Blast News: US Secy of State Blinken Gives Complete Account

At this occasion US Secy of State, Antony J Blinken gives an account, “We honor more than 2,300 US service members who’ve died in Afghanistan since 2001, the more than 20,000 who’ve been wounded, & more than 800,000 who’ve served in America’s longest war, as well as other Americans, killed or wounded in conflict”

At a Glance, Thursday’s Major Development

• Two bombs were dropped at Kabul International Airport in an attempt to evacuate people after fleeing the country after Taliban rule.
• At least 60 people have been killed and 180 injured in twin blasts at Kabul airport
• Thirteen US military personnel are among those killed, highest number of American troops slain in a day in Afghanistan since 2011
• Responding to the attack, US President Joe Biden tells the perpetrators: “We will hunt you down and pay you back”
• The US President says so far there is no evidence of cooperation between the Taliban and Islamic State, which they say was responsible for the attacks.
• Western leaders condemn Kabul’s attack, as many countries close down their activities to evacuate people
• US President Joe Biden vowed to continue deporting refugees from Afghanistan
• The blast undertook at a place outside the Abbey Gate where American and British troops were positioned and at a nearby Baron hotel
• Boris Johnson says the attack is “contemptible” but will not affect the UK’s operations
• The attack came after warnings in which there was a possibility of a military attack, as countries transporting people before the August 31 deadline
• Canada has joined many European countries in closing its transit operations
• Large crowds have also formed on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan as people try to escape from the Taliban regime

Is It for Human Birth?

Certainly not, the human birth is not to waste in killing each other merely to grab the power. The US captured the Afghans and now again the Taliban did the same. Thousands of innocent people were slain in this never-ending fight. The real purpose is to get rid of the vicious cycle of death and birth. Visit Satlok Ashram YouTube Channel and listen to Enlightened Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj to know the real purpose of human life.