Confusing situation in Kabul: Several dead after attack in front of the airport

There were two explosions in front of Kabul airport – apparently it was a suicide attack in the middle of the men, women and children waiting to leave. Several people were killed.

Shortly before the end of the international evacuation mission in Afghanistan, the situation in Kabul deteriorated dramatically: there was an explosion and an exchange of fire at one of the airport gates – apparently triggered by one or more suicide bombers. The US Department of Defense speaks of a “complex attack” that resulted in multiple casualties, including Americans.

The number of victims is unclear: the Russian Foreign Ministry and a spokesman for the radical Islamic Taliban spoke of at least 13 dead, including children. Other sources, such as the non-governmental organization Emergency, spoke of at least six deaths. Numerous people were injured.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby also confirmed that there was another explosion in a nearby hotel. There, British citizens and vulnerable Afghans are being prepared for their evacuation to Great Britain.

Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwari wrote on Twitter that a suicide bomber had blown himself up in a large crowd at one of the airport gates. At least one other attacker then opened fire. Sarwari cited several eyewitnesses in the area.

After the explosion, US soldiers used tear gas at another airport gate to disperse people, said a Kabul resident who was at the gate. He estimated that there were 2,000 to 4,000 people there at the time. Several women and girls were injured by the tear gas.

Bundeswehr not involved

According to the Bundeswehr operations command, no Bundeswehr forces are affected. More detailed information is not yet available. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to comment shortly. Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of an “absolutely vile attack”.

Attack warnings

In the past few days there had been increasing warnings of terrorist attacks by the “Islamic State” around the airport in Kabul. The US embassy had called on US citizens who were at Abbey Gate, East Gate or North Gate on Thursday night to leave the area “immediately”. Britain’s Secretary of Defense, James Heappey, spoke that morning of the threat of a “serious, immediate, fatal attack” within hours on the airport or the centers used by Western troops.

Nevertheless, despite all the warnings, thousands of people huddled at the gates and tried to get into one of the supposedly last machines. Many Western states have now ended their evacuation missions – including the Bundeswehr. In the evening (local time), according to consistent media reports, the last machines with the destination Tashkent in Uzbekistan started.

Since the radical Islamic Taliban came to power around two weeks ago, the Bundeswehr has reportedly evacuated more than 5,200 people from Kabul. The responsible general announced in Berlin, including 4200 Afghans and 505 Germans. A total of people from 45 nations were flown out.

The US armed forces had flown around 13,400 people from Afghanistan until yesterday. This increases the number of people evacuated by the US and its allies since August 14 to around 95,700, the US government announced. The people still staying in Kabul – including thousands of local staff who worked for the German armed forces – are running out of time. On August 31, the US troop withdrawal from Kabul ended. Without US support, however, a continuation of the evacuation flights is unthinkable.