A Taliban official and a source from a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, stated on Friday that the number of civilian casualties from the explosions outside Kabul Airport has risen to at least 72. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, at least 13 American soldiers were killed in the bombings, which have been condemned by numerous countries and international organizations worldwide.
**America Vows to Respond**
In response to the attack, U.S. President Joe Biden, his voice shaking with emotion, pledged that Washington would pursue those responsible. He said he had asked the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare plans to strike at the perpetrators. The U.S. President explained that intelligence assessments had previously warned of attacks similar to the Kabul airport bombings, and the situation on the ground in Afghanistan remains evolving as ISIS plans to launch complex operations against Americans. Biden noted that the identities of the perpetrators of the Kabul Airport attack are known to them, though they have not confirmed them definitively. He emphasized that the military is applying the highest possible standards to protect Americans in Afghanistan. Biden mentioned that ISIS-Khorasan militants, described as “the sworn enemy of the Taliban,” were released when prisons opened during Taliban control, and were planning to carry out attacks against Americans and others. ISIS-Khorasan, the Afghan branch of ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that about 160 people were killed or injured in the suicide bombing.
**Other Attacks**
As the situation in Afghanistan unfolds, U.S. officials reported that American forces in Kabul are on high alert for more potential attacks from ISIS as they complete their evacuation mission. During a press conference, U.S. Central Command General Frank McKenzie indicated that future potential attacks could include rocket fire on the airport or attempts to breach it with car bombs. He stated that he had not seen any evidence to convince him that Taliban forces allowed the attack to occur.
The United States is racing against time to complete air evacuation operations for Americans and some Afghans from Kabul before the deadline for their full military withdrawal on August 31.
**Taliban Pledges Security**
In this context, a NATO diplomat reported that the Taliban has pledged to tighten security and add more forces to manage crowds at Kabul Airport gates. The European diplomat urged the Taliban to investigate ISIS in Kabul after allowing thousands of prisoners to be released in recent weeks, in addition to clarifying its stance on governing the country. The movement confirmed it would work to secure all Afghan airports by establishing observation towers.
**U.S. Message to Afghans**
The White House press secretary stated that the United States is committed to fully evacuating Americans and citizens of allied countries from Afghanistan despite the evolving situation. Press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized that there is no deadline for the commitment to bring Americans out of Afghanistan at the moment, and addressed Afghans by stating, “We cannot evacuate every Afghan who wants to leave the country.” She noted that coordination between the United States and the Taliban is essential to continue evacuations from Afghanistan, asserting that the timeline for withdrawal on August 31 remains unchanged. She added that the U.S. military is conducting multiple operations to ensure individuals can reach Kabul Airport for evacuation, noting that “more than 7,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan in the last 12 hours.”
