Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

"Specific, Credible Threats" Remain Against Kabul Airport Operations: US

"Specific, Credible Threats" Remain Against Kabul Airport Operations: US

The blast claimed by Islamic State targeted US forces, but hit hardest people who had reached the airport in a desperate bid to leave the country.

There remain "credible threats" against the major airlift operation at Kabul airport, the Pentagon said today, a day after a suicide attack on a crowd trying to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan killed at least 85 people, including 13 US servicemen.

The blast claimed by the Islamic State terror group targeted US forces, but hit hardest the mass of people fearing life under the Taliban who converged on the airport in a desperate bid to board a flight out.

At least 72 people were killed, including the 13 American troops, according to various authorities, in an attack that came after a chorus of warnings from foreign governments of an imminent threat.

"We still believe there are credible threats... specific, credible threats," said US military spokesman John Kirby today.

There are more than 5,000 people inside the airport left to evacuate, a US General said, stressing that airlifts would continue "until the last moment".

Determined to end two decades of war in Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden has insisted that he would stick to his August 31 deadline to end the airlift.

Mr Biden, under enormous pressure over his administration's handling of the Afghan crisis, vowed to punish those responsible for the blast.

"We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," he said.

The Pentagon also clarified that there was one explosion, and not two as it previously reported.

About 105,000 people have been flown out of the country since August 14, the day before the Taliban swept to power, according to the White House.

Some Western allies, including Britain and Spain, announced an end to their airlifts on Friday, following other nations such as Canada and Australia earlier in the week.

Many have repeatedly warned that it will be impossible to get all at-risk Afghans out by Tuesday.

Refugee exodus


The Taliban have promised a softer brand of rule compared with their first stint in power, which ended in 2001 when the United States hit back following the September 11 attacks.

But many Afghans fear a repeat of their brutal interpretation of Islamic law, as well as violent retribution for working with foreign militaries, Western missions or the previous US-backed government.

Today morning, some evacuation flights resumed, with queues of people seen lining up on the tarmac but there were no more crowds near the sites of the blast, according to AFP reporters.

The Taliban had also blocked off the main routes to the airport as well as side roads.

The United Nations said today it was bracing for a "worst-case scenario" of up to half a million more refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.

The Taliban has said that Afghans with legal documents will be allowed to travel abroad after the airport reopens to commercial flights.

'More extreme'


The Taliban have allowed US-led forces to conduct the airlift while they finalise plans for their government to be announced as soon as the American troops have left.

But the Islamic State terrorists, rivals of the Taliban with a record of barbaric attacks, were intent on capitalising on the chaos in Kabul.

In recent years, the Islamic State's Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries.

It has massacred civilians at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.

"These are people that are even more extreme than the Taliban and are basically at war with the Taliban. So it is a horribly complex situation," Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Ankara was assessing an offer to run operations at the Kabul airport, with security to be provided by the Taliban.

Terror, devastation


The blast hit people trying to reach access gates at the airport, creating scenes of terror and devastation.

Immediately after the first, one man held a semi-conscious victim by the elbow, trying to stop his head from slipping beneath the surface of the fetid water in a canal along the perimeter of the airport.

"I will never, ever want to go (to the airport) again. Death to America, its evacuation and visas," Milad, who was near the first blast with his wife and three children, told AFP.

The Italian NGO Emergency said the hospital it operates in Kabul had been overwhelmed by more than 60 casualties, 16 of whom were pronounced dead on arrival.

The injured "could not speak, many were terrified, their eyes totally lost in emptiness, their gaze blank", the hospital's medical coordinator Alberto Zanin said in a post on the group's Twitter account.

'Bear responsibility'


The attacks led to the worst single-day death count for the US military in Afghanistan since 2011.

A clearly shaken Mr Biden went before TV cameras to address the American people, describing the killed US troops as heroes.

Asked by a reporter if he bore any responsibility for the deaths, he said: "I bear responsibility fundamentally for all that's happened of late."

The Taliban, which condemned the blast, emphasised that it took place in an area under US military control.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×