Kabul(Washington Insider Magazine) -Two suicide bombers and gunmen at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 26 killed at least 13 American service members and 95 Afghan citizens, according to the Associated Press.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), the extreme regional affiliate of ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which occurred at the airport gate and a nearby hotel. The attack marks the deadliest day for U.S. troops in the war in more than a decade, and the first U.S. military casualty since February 2020.
The attacks came in the waning days of a frantic airlift for those trying to escape the Taliban restored rule in the country after 20 years of war. The U.S. has since Aug.14 evacuated more than 100,000 people.
Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie confirmed the American casualties, and reported over a dozen wounded U.S. citizens in a press briefing. Later in the evening the Pentagon confirmed the death toll rose to 13 after a service member died from his injuries. About 5,000 people were still waiting to board flights, McKenzie added.
While Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reported 13 Afghan citizens were killed and 60 wounded, an Afghan health official on Aug. 26 told the New York Times of at least 60 confirmed deaths and 140 wounded. Estimates of the total death toll continue to grow and have reached over 100.
U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the nation after the attack, saying “we are outraged as well as heartbroken.”
He vowed retributive attacks for the perpetrators of the attack and confirmed that he has already authorized strikes against ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities.
“To those who carried out this attack, know this, we will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay,” he said.
Despite the attack, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said that the military “will not be dissuaded from the task at hand,” with only four days left until the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.
“To do anything less – especially now – would dishonor the purpose and sacrifice these men and women have rendered [to] our country and the people of Afghanistan,” he added.
When asked if it was a mistake to trust the Taliban to help with security around the airport, Biden said no, and described the relationship with the Taliban as one of “mutual benefit,” instead of trust.
In his briefing, McKenzie said there are “other active threats against the airfield,” from ISIS-K and other sources. McKenzie said there is no indication of collusion with the Taliban in this attack.
The military had been aware of the threats previously, a fact that Biden said was taken into consideration in his decision to not extend the Aug. 31 deadline. When asked about his plans moving forward, he said the withdrawal will continue as planned, focusing on evacuating as many people who want to leave as possible.
McKenzie said that since Aug. 14, 104,000 civilians have been evacuated, including around 5,000 Americans. Thousands more people at risk remain in the country, including Special Immigrant Visa holders, permanent residency holders, Afghans who have helped the U.S. military, and approximately 1,000 U.S. citizens.
