ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack on Kabul Airport
At least 90 people, including 13 US troops, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of a crowd that had gathered at one of the main entrances to the Afghan capital’s airport. Minutes later, another suicide bomber targeted the nearby Baron Hotel. On its various platforms, EAC News is showing you footage of the injured being rushed to nearby hospitals, with footage from the scenes themselves just too graphic to broadcast.
Warnings were received in the hours leading up to the attack. Further attacks have not been ruled out. The terror group, Islamic State, has been quick to claim responsibility. It has long been an enemy of the Taliban, which has "strongly condemned" the bombings. Condemnation also came from United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who said the security council would be summoned:
“First of all, I would like to express in the strongest possible way my total condemnation about the horrific terrorist attack in Kabul to send my condolences to the families of all those that perished, Afghans and those that were helping there, the Afghans, and died serving the lives of others. I have also asked my special representative to convey directly to Kabul my deep condolences to the Afghan people."
Several Western countries say the evacuation of civilians is now effectively over, with the United States having sealed the gates of the airport, but British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is adamant that efforts must continue to airlift out those who wish to leave:
''I don't want to comment on intelligence matters but I think what it possibly one thing we could say is this - that there will almost certainly members of the Taliban who themselves were killed in this attack and perhaps what it proves the difficulty that any government is going to have in in running Afghanistan and the threats that any government is going to continue to face. And what we want to do right now is to is to get on with this, finish off this process of evacuation, but then move into that the second phase where clearly that we want to work with other partner countries in the G7 and others in NATO and others to engage with the Taliban to try to get a political process going that gives a more inclusive future and an inclusive and representative government of Afghanistan and one that commands the loyalty and support of the people of Afghanistan because you can see from this attack that that is not going to be easy."
It is not known when the resumption of flights out of Hamid Karzai International Airport will be permitted.
