The United States on Friday said that there was no second explosion at or near the Baron Hotel in Kabul as claimed a day earlier. After the suicide bombing outside Kabul airport, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby had said that “at least one other explosion” was reported at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
"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," US Army Major General William Taylor told a press briefing. "We’re not sure how that report was provided incorrectly."
Taylor said that about 5,400 people are still at the Kabul airport awaiting flights out of Afghanistan, adding that the US has the ability to include evacuees on the military airlift out of Afghanistan. The deputy director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asserted that the Islamic State won’t deter the US troops from accomplishing the mission.
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Meanwhile, the Pentagon has maintained that it is still planning to abide by the mission timeline and complete the US troops withdrawal and evacuation operations by August 31. Expressing condolences for the victims of the terror attack, Kirby told the press briefing that a “comprehensive” investigation will be launched to learn about the suicide bombing.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the Pentagon has maintained that it is still planning to abide by the mission timeline and complete the US troops withdrawal and evacuation operations by August 31. Expressing condolences for the victims of the terror attack, Kirby told the press briefing that a “comprehensive” investigation will be launched to learn about the suicide bombing.
{{/usCountry}}“There'll be an investigation and we will try to learn as much as we can (about Kabul airport attack)... We express our condolences for Afghan people who suffered in yesterday's attack. We don't want to see the country torn asunder through civil war.” the Pentagon spokesperson said.
The US department of defense also announced three additional bases to help support the evacuation operations from Afghanistan.
“The Department of Defense can announce that it is authorized Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Fort Pickett, Virginia, and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, to provide additional support to the US mission to evacuate Afghans special immigrant visa applicants, their families, and other at risk individuals,” Kirby told the reporters.