The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, revealed on Friday that the Taliban released thousands of prisoners associated with the ISIS terrorist organization in Afghanistan just days before the deadly attack on Kabul airport, which was claimed by ISIS. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stated in a press briefing that thousands of ISIS-Khorasan fighters escaped from Bagram prison, north of Kabul. Footage circulated on the internet shows Taliban members releasing prisoners at Bagram on August 15. Kirby did not rule out Taliban involvement in the attack that occurred last Thursday, despite their declared enmity with ISIS.
Bagram prison, located within a massive airbase, was under the supervision of U.S. forces, who withdrew from it on July 2. Control of the base was handed over to Afghan forces, which were larger in number than their U.S. counterparts. Military experts identified the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Bagram as the moment the U.S. abandoned Afghanistan, especially since Washington did not inform Kabul about the timing of the withdrawal from the base.
There are fears that the widespread release of ISIS fighters in Afghanistan could bolster the terrorist organization, which has faced significant setbacks in recent years due to U.S. strikes and battles with the Taliban. ISIS in Afghanistan, known as "Khorasan Province," claimed responsibility for the two terrorist attacks that occurred outside Kabul airport. The attack resulted in over 170 fatalities, including 13 U.S. soldiers, marking the worst attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2011. The double attack also claimed the lives of 28 Taliban fighters present at the location.
