THE death toll from multiple suicide bombing explosions around Hamid Karzai International Kabul Airport in Afghanistan on Thursday has risen to 60.
Initial reports said 13 people were killed and 52 injured but subsequent figures from medical sources and US officials indicated that the number of dead and injured was on the rise, after at least three bomb explosions were heard around the airport while evacuation efforts were ongoing.
Thirteen American soldiers are believed to be among those killed, while 20 were wounded, 10 of which are in critical condition.
The Taliban has strongly condemned the attacks on Kabul_Airport, pointing out that it has no control over the areas where the blasts took place.
“The Islamic Emirate does not intend to intensify the blast at Kabul Airport. The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a U.S. military base,” Taliban said in a statement.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group has claimed responsibility for today’s attacks outside the airport, claiming that the blasts killed and wounded some 160 people.
The United States President Joe Biden said he would hunt down the bombers and make them pay, saying, “we will not forgive, we will not forget.”
He said there were several Americans and green card holders wanting to leave Afghanistan, noting that “America will not be intimidated and will continue evacuation.”
In the meantime, the US general overseeing the evacuation from Afghanistan Kenneth McKenzie said the United States would go after the perpetrators of the Kabul airport ‘cowardly attack’ and would not halt its evacuation operation.
“We expect these attacks to continue,” he said, adding that the Taliban commanders had been asked to take additional security measures to prevent another suicide bombing on the airport’s perimeter.