At least 12 US service members were killed and 15 others injured in the the terror attacks on the Kabul airport Thursday, Department of Defense officials said in a news briefing.
Gen. Frank McKenzie Jr., commander of US Central Command, told reporters that two suicide bombers detonated their vest in the area around the Hamid Karzai International Airport before a “number of ISIS gunmen” opened fire on troops.
The general said the evacuation mission would continue despite the attacks.
“ISIS will not deter us from accomplishing the mission, I can guarantee you that,” he said.
One explosion occurred outside the airport’s Abbey Gate, the airfield’s main entrance — where a crowd of Afghans were standing in a canal waiting to try and get on evacuation flights, according to reports.
The second blast was a short distance away, outside the nearby Baron Hotel.
Afghan officials said there were at least 40 people killed and 120 injured.
The dead included several Marines, officials told The Associated Press. A number of US troops were also wounded.
The Pentagon, ahead of the briefing Thursday, confirmed the explosions and said that “a number of US service members” were killed and several others injured.
President Biden has yet to issue a comment on the attacks. He was in the situation room throughout the morning being briefed on the situation, according to reports.
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