US troops, others die in Kabul airport attack

At least 13 persons have died, including children and several wounded in two explosions outside Kabul’s international airport, a Taliban official has said, amid a huge and chaotic evacuation effort from Afghanistan.

Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby said on Twitter, “We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate”.

The explosions took place amid the crowds outside the airport who have been missing for days in hope of escaping in an airlift which the United States says will end by Tuesday, following the swift capture of the country by the Taliban.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, but US officials pointed fingers at Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate, ISIS-Khorosan, which has emerged as enemies of both the West and of the Taliban.