Several US service personnel killed in Kabul: Pentagon
US officials also said President Joe Biden was in the Situation Room of the White House at the time of the explosion, and he remained in a huddle with his national security team.
The United States defence department has confirmed a “number of its service personnel” were killed in the “complex attack” at the Kabul airport on Thursday evening.
The number of casualties was put at 4 US Marines by The Wall Street Journal which cited a briefing by US ambassador to Afghanistan to his staff.
US officials also said President Joe Biden was in the Situation Room of the White House at the time of the explosion, and he remained in a huddle with his national security team, cancelling and postponing scheduled events and briefings for the day, including a bilateral meeting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“We can confirm that a number of US service members were killed in today’s complex attack at the Kabul airport,” John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary said. “A number of others are being treated for wounds. We also know that a number of Afghans fell victim to this heinous attack.”
In a tweet earlier, Kirby had confirmed the explosion at the Abbey Gate of the airport saying it was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties.
He had also confirmed another explosion, which took place at the Baron Hotel nearby.
US officials had been warning of terrorist strikes at the airport for some days and even the American president spoke of it in his last address to the nation. “The longer we stay, starting with the acutely growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, which is an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan,” Biden said on Tuesday.