Defense Ministry says it is working to establish what happened amid dual explosions outside critical airport
LONDON (AA) – The UK is working with allies to establish what happened in relation to two explosions outside Kabul airport, Britain’s Defense Ministry said shortly after the blasts shook Afghanistan’s capital on Thursday afternoon.
“We are working urgently to establish what has happened in Kabul and its impact on the ongoing evacuation effort,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Our primary concern remains the safety of our personnel, British citizens and the citizens of Afghanistan. We are in close contact with our US and other NATO allies at an operational level on the immediate response to this incident,” it added.
Two explosions took place outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, the center of evacuation efforts from Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the capital city earlier this month.
Attacks ‘barbaric’ but evacuations to continue
In a statement following the attacks and an emergency Cabinet meeting, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the Kabul airport attacks as “barbaric” but that evacuations will continue.
“I can confirm there has been a barbaric terrorist attack, what looks like a series of attacks at the airport and at the crowds of the airport of which members of the US military very sadly have lost their lives and many Afghan casualties as well and we extend our condolences both to the United States of America and to the people of Afghanistan,” Johnson told Sky News.
“It is not going to interrupt our progress, we are going to get on with this evacuation,” Johnson said after chairing an emergency meeting on the attacks.
Johnson also noted that coalition forces were always going to be vulnerable to attacks during the chaotic evacuation of foreign and Afghan nationals in which members of the ISIS-K terror group would attempt to infiltrate.
“There were always going to be vulnerabilities to terrorism and opportunistic terrorist attacks, we condemn them, I think they are despicable, but I am afraid they are something we had to prepare for.”
The UK’s Defense Ministry has blamed the attack on ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate of the Daesh terrorist group.
At least 25 people were killed and 90 injured, said news channel Al-Jazeera, citing the Taliban, which earlier this month gained control of Kabul and most of Afghanistan but not the airport.
Meanwhile, US media outlets cited officials in reporting that four American troops were killed and three others injured.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the explosions were the result of a suicide attack and that at least three US soldiers were among the injured.
US forces are in control of the airport as evacuations continue ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline — the only area of the country still under US control.
Thousands of people are waiting at the airport for evacuation, and large crowds have gathered outside the airport grounds, seeking a way inside to get a flight out.