12 U.S. service members killed in Kabul attack: Pentagon

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A “complex attack” involving at least two explosions outside the airport in Kabul on Thursday killed 12 U.S. service members and injured at least fifteen others, the Pentagon said.

The attack also killed and wounded a number of Afghan civilians. An Afghan official told Associated Press that at least 60 Afghans were killed and 143 others were injured in the attack.

“Let me be clear, while we're saddened by the loss of life both U.S. and Afghan [lives], we’re continuing to execute the mission," Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., commander, U.S. Central Command, said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Smoke rises from explosion outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. The explosion went off outside Kabul's airport, where thousands of people have flocked as they try to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. (Wali Sabawoon/AP) — Smoke rises from an explosion outside the airport in Kabul on Thursday. (Wali Sabawoon/AP)

Citing a Taliban official, Reuters reported that a suspected suicide bomb exploded outside one of the main gates at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Another explosion occurred outside the Baron Hotel, which is near the airport and is often frequented by Americans in Kabul.

A U.S. official told the Associated Press that the attack is “definitely believed” to have been carried out by the Islamic State terrorist group. ISIS-K, the group's affiliate in Afghanistan, is also an enemy of the Taliban.

Confirming that ISIS-K is suspected of the attack, McKenzie said officials believe it's the group's "desire to continue those attacks and we expect those attacks to continue."

"If we can find who is associated with this we will go after them," he said. "We’re prepared to take action against them; 24-7 we are looking for them.”

President Biden met with his national security team Thursday morning, including commanders on the ground in Kabul, according to pool reports, and will continue to be briefed on the situation throughout the day.

The airport has been the site of a massive airlift operation by the U.S. military to evacuate tens of thousands of Americans, at-risk Afghans and citizens of allied nations out of Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country less than two weeks ago.

The Pentagon said Thursday afternoon that there are approximately 5,000 evacuees on the ramp at Hamid Karzai awaiting airlift.

Before the attack, on Wednesday evening, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued a security alert warning Americans to stay away from the airport and instructing anyone outside the gates to “leave immediately” due to unspecified “security threats.” The British and Australian governments had also issued similar warnings ahead of the explosions.

Medical and hospital staff bring an injured man on a stretcher for treatment after two blasts outside the airport in Kabul on Thursday. (Photo by Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images) — Medical staff with an injured man after two blasts outside the Kabul airport on Thursday. (Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images)

Following the explosion at the airport, the U.S. Embassy issued another security alert that read:

EXPLOSION AT THE ABBEY GATE OF KABUL AIRPORT, REPORTS OF GUNFIRE

There has been a large explosion at the airport, and there are reports of gunfire.

U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time.

U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately.

The U.S. has been racing to evacuate as many people from Afghanistan as possible before Aug. 31, when the last American troops are scheduled to withdraw from the country. Earlier this week, Biden confirmed that he intends to stick with that withdrawal deadline despite calls to extend, citing the growing threat that ISIS-K poses to U.S. troops on the ground in Kabul.

“Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport,” Biden said Tuesday. “The sooner we can finish, the better.”

Medical and hospital staff bring an injured man on a stretcher for treatment after two blasts outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday. (Photo by Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images) — Medical staff bring an injured man on a stretcher for treatment after the explosions on Thursday. (Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images)

As of Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that more than 4,500 American citizens and their immediate family members had been evacuated from Afghanistan, and up to 1,500 others were still waiting to leave.

Since Aug. 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 95,700 people, according to an update released by the White House Thursday morning.

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