Attacks in Kabul: “People flew through the air everywhere”

Several explosions and shots into the crowd – at least 70 people died in attacks at Kabul airport, including 13 US soldiers. The morning after, the situation remains chaotic.

The ambulance sirens wail through Kabul. Injured people are also brought to the clinics in wheelbarrows or on the backs of helpers. The situation is chaotic and it is impossible to keep track of the number of victims, even in the morning after the attacks. At least 70 dead, the BBC speaks with reference to sources in the Ministry of Health of 90 victims, 150 injured – women, men, children. The bombs exploded in the midst of thousands of desperate people who hoped against all odds to get a place on one of the last evacuation flights. 13 US soldiers who guarded the airport were among the victims.

“There was suddenly an explosion where we were,” said this eyewitness. “My brother and I were thrown to the ground. All around us people were flying through the air, body parts torn off, brain matter, blood. People began to run away in panic, between 400 and 500 people. We carried out the wounded, my clothes are completely covered in blood . “

Terrorist militia IS claims attacks for itself

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the midst of the crowd at the airport gate. After the explosions, other perpetrators fired assault rifles into the chaos. Another explosive device detonated in a nearby hotel in Kabul, where British citizens and vulnerable Afghans are being prepared for their evacuation to Great Britain.

The terrorist organization “Islamic State” has now admitted to the bloody attack. IS in Afghanistan acts independently of the Taliban and advocates an even more extreme interpretation of Islam. In the past few days there had been increasing warnings of terrorist attacks by the terrorist militia around the airport.

The American embassy in Kabul had asked all US citizens to leave the area around the airport immediately. The British Ministry of Defense spoke yesterday morning of the threat of a “serious, immediate, fatal attack”.

Thousands at the airport gates

Bundeswehr soldiers were therefore no longer allowed to go to the Abbey Gate to pick up local personnel there since Wednesday. The Bundeswehr has now ended its evacuation mission. The last machines started yesterday evening with the destination Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Despite all the warnings, thousands were still crowding the gates of the airport at that time.

“The explosion was really huge,” an eyewitness told the Afghan television station Tolo TV. At least one of the explosive devices detonated within the meter-high walls, which were actually built to protect against bomb attacks, but in this case increased the deadly explosive force, according to security experts.