At least 13 US service members killed in Kabul airport attack

President Joe Biden speaks about the bombings at the Kabul airport that killed at least 12 U.S. service members, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Washington.
'We will hunt you down and make you pay': Biden warns attackers
02:50 - Source: CNN

Where things stand

  • President Biden vowed to “hunt” down the terrorists who attacked Kabul’s airport, killing 13 US service members and injuring 18.
  • More than 60 Afghans are dead and at least 140 wounded, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health tells CNN.
  • The blasts come as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of President Biden’s Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.
  • Our live coverage of the situation in Afghanistan has moved here.
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Kamala Harris: "We honor those who gave their lives in service to their nation"

Vice President Kamala Harris called the 13 American service members killed in Afghanistan today “heroes” who died saving countless lives, in a statement released Thursday night. 

“Doug and I grieve for the Americans we lost, we pray for the Americans injured in the attack, and our hearts go out to their loved ones. We also grieve for the Afghan civilians killed and injured,” Harris wrote in the statement which was released shortly after she arrived in Hawaii for an event with US troops.

“Our country is grateful to all our women and men in uniform, and in particular, those working today to get Americans and our Afghan partners out of harm’s way. And we will complete that mission,” she continued. 

Australian Prime Minister condemns attack, says all Australian forces are safe

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison holds a press conference in Canberra, Australia, on August 27, following the deadly attack at Kabul Airport.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the attacks in Afghanistan in a tweet Friday local time, adding that all Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and personnel are safe.

“Deeply saddened by the deaths of US military personnel and Afghans in the horrific terrorist attacks in Kabul. We mourn your tragic loss,” Morrison tweeted. “Australia condemns these heinous and barbaric attacks,” the prime minister added. “All our brave ADF and Australian personnel are safe.”

Journalist describes "terrible" scene following Kabul attack

Journalist and author Matthieu Aikins speaks with CNN on Thursday.

Journalist and author Matthieu Aikins reported to the scene following the deadly events at Kabul international airport Thursday that killed more than 60 Afghans and 13 US service members.

“We were there less than an hour after the attack. I was at home and heard a pop, which you get kind of attuned to living in Kabul,” he told CNN. “We hopped on the motorcycle, rode down, and it was a pretty chaotic scene.”

Aikins said he’s been traveling to the airport daily since the fall of Kabul and sadly wasn’t entirely surprised by the latest incident.

“We could hear shooting and sirens from the airport. At that point, we went back to the emergency hospital, and they were bringing the casualties in there. There was just body after body. It was a really terrible sight,” Aikins said. “You have tens of thousands of people cramming in from every angle at the same time, this desperate pressure to get the American citizens and others out. So it was really truly a recipe for disaster.”

Watch the interview:

Here's the latest on evacuation efforts in Kabul

Evacuees walk around a temporary shelter at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on August 26.

About 7,500 people were evacuated from Kabul over the course of 12 hours on Thursday, the White House said. 

“From August 26 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 26 at 3:00 PM EDT, a total of approximately 7,500 people were evacuated from Kabul. This is the result of 14 US military flights (13 C-17s and 1 C-130) which carried approximately 5,100 evacuees, and 39 coalition flights which carried 2,400 people,” a White House official said in a statement.

CNN first reported on the attack outside the airport in Kabul at 9:40 a.m. ET. It’s unclear how many of these 7,500 evacuations took place after the attack.

10 US Marines among the 13 service members killed in Afghanistan

Ten Marines were killed in the attack at Kabul international airport and several more were wounded, Marine Corps spokesperson Maj. Jim Stenger said in a statement Thursday evening. 

“These fallen heroes answered the call to go into harm’s way to do the honorable work of helping others. We are proud of their service and deeply saddened by their loss. As we mourn, we also keep those who are still over there protecting Americans and our Afghan partners at the forefront of our thoughts. Our Marines will continue the mission, carrying on our Corps’ legacy of always standing ready to meet the challenges of every extraordinary task our Nation requires of her Marines,” Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in the statement.

Earlier Thursday: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday issued his own statement, saying, “This is a solemn day for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team. Those warriors who died gave their lives to save thousands of men, women and children, Americans and Afghans alike.”

A 13th US service member has died, US Central Command says

An additional US service member has died as a result of the attack at the Kabul airport Thursday, according to a statement from US Central Command.

A total of 13 US service members were killed Thursday and the total number injured is now 18, said Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesperson for CENTCOM.

“I can confirm that subsequent to Gen. [Kenneth “Frank” ] McKenzie’s remarks, a thirteenth US service member has died from his wounds suffered as a result of the attack on Abbey Gate,” Urban said. “The latest number of injured is now 18.”

Urban said the injured are in the process of being evacuated from Afghanistan.

“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the injured and to the friends and family of those who were killed,” he added.

White House says "it's not a day for politics" when asked about calls for Biden's resignation

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 26.

The White House responded to Republicans calling on President Biden to resign in the wake of recent bombings in Kabul, telling reporters “it’s not a day for politics.”

“This is a day where US service members, 12 of them, lost their lives at the hands of terrorists,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the White House press briefing. “It’s not a day for politics, and we would expect that any American, elected or not, would stand with us in our commitment to going after and fighting and killing those terrorists wherever they live. And to honoring the memory of service members. And that’s what this day is for.”

3 California families safely depart from Afghanistan

Three Southern California families who became stranded in Afghanistan while visiting relatives over the summer have made it safely out of while five others remain stuck as chaos continues to unfold around the nation’s main airport.

Two families departed Afghanistan Thursday, according to Howard Shen, spokesperson for the Cajon Valley Union School District, near San Diego. A third family had also departed and returned to the US on Wednesday, he said. 

Shen estimated that five additional families from the school district, consisting of 14 students and eight parents, are still in Afghanistan. The figure marked an increase from Wednesday when Shen believed that a total of six CVUSD families were in Afghanistan, noting that information is fluid and constantly evolving. He said the district is working with California Rep. Darrell Issa’s office, and other national security officials to assist the families with a safe exit. 

The departures come as deadly explosions rocked the area outside Kabul’s airport on Thursday as the US and other Western countries raced to complete a massive evacuation of their citizens and Afghan allies following the Taliban takeover of the country. 

“We don’t believe any of our students were hurt during the explosion,” Shen told CNN of the bombing near the Kabul Airport.

President Biden on Thursday vowed to continue evacuations despite the terror attack.

The Cajon Valley Union School District, which is home to a very large immigrant and refugee population, mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq, will be offering counseling support to all students in need in the wake of recent events.

“Cajon Valley Union School District Community and Staff wait with open arms for the safe return of all of our families,” Shen said in a statement.

Shen on Wednesday said he believed that six CVUSD families were in Afghanistan, noting that the information is fluid and constantly evolving.

More than 13,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan, UK government says

Passengers evacuated from Afghanistan disembark from a British Royal Air Force aircraft after landing at RAF Brize Norton station in England on August 24.

A total of 13,146 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the operation began on Aug. 13, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the FCDO said the military operation — called Operation Pitting — has seen more than 1,000 members of the UK armed forces deployed to Kabul to assist in the evacuations.

This includes embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) program and a number of nationals from partner nations, the statement said.

Biden never considered changing Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal of all US forces, White House says

President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on August 26.

At no point Thursday did President Joe Biden consider keeping any US forces in Afghanistan past the Aug. 31 deadline, despite the deadly attacks near the Kabul airport, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Responding to a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Psaki said the President still believes all US forces should be out by the end of the month because that is what his military commanders are advising will be best for the US in the short and long term.

“The President relies on the advice of his military commanders and they continue to believe that it is essential to get out by the 31st. That is their advice,” Psaki said.

“There are several reasons for that. One is the ongoing threats and the second that that we want to be able to have the ability to get individuals out who have been partners of ours after the 31st and they believe the best way to do that is to stay on that timeline at this point in time,” she added.

Psaki would not say whether the White House still anticipates the mass-evacuation flights that US and coalition forces have been carrying out will end before Aug. 31.

“I’m not gonna get into an operational timeline of when the last evacuation flight will be and I don’t expect the Department of Defense will do that either. We will let you know, as we have twice a day, as we have updated numbers,” she said.

Asked if there is an alternative plan being discussed on how to get people seeking to leave Afghanistan to the Kabul airport given it’s potentially dangerous to be waiting near the gates right now, Psaki said that there are “a range of operations and operational approaches that our commanders and military on the ground have been utilizing over the course of several days.” 

“I’m not gonna outline those from here, but that is why they’re in touch with American citizens, why they’re in touch with partners we’re working to evacuate to get them safely to the airport and evacuated at the appropriate time,” Psaki said.

How Biden learned of the Kabul attack, according to the White House press secretary

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 26.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki provided a breakdown of when President Biden learned of the attack in Kabul that claimed the lives of 12 US service members and injured another 15.

“Initial reports of the attacks came in as members of his national security team were gathering in the Situation Room for a regular meeting with the President, so they were just gathering and sitting down,” Psaki said today during a news briefing.

“As the President arrived in the Situation Room, one of the first updates he received, of course, was about the attacks on the ground in Kabul,” she added. “There were — this was a developing situation, as it has been through the course of the day and through the course of his briefing with his national security team this morning, his commanders on the ground also and in the region gave regular updates as they learned more information.”

Psaki continued: “Once he left the Situation Room, those updates proceeded through the course of the day. He’s been in constant contact with his national security adviser, his secretary of state, secretary of defense and military commanders both here and in the region.”

US flags will lower to half-staff after Kabul attack, White House says

The US flag is lowered at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 26.

Flags across the United States will be lowered to half-staff “as a mark of respect” for the victims of the terror attack in Afghanistan, the White House said.

Press secretary Jen Psaki said flags would lower on Thursday and stay lowered until sunset on Aug. 30 “in honor of the victims of the senseless acts of violence in Kabul, Afghanistan.” 

President Biden has not yet spoken to the families of the service members killed in Afghanistan, the White House said Thursday evening, pointing to the next-of-kin notification process still being underway.

“Until that process concludes,” Psaki said at an evening press briefing, “the President will not make a call because that’s the first step in the process.” 

She also left the door open to the President making the trip to Dover, Delaware, when the remains of the fallen service members return to US soil. 

“Of course he would consider and want to be a part of any means of honoring the lives that were lost today,” Psaki said. “I am certain the President will do everything he can to honor the sacrifice and the service of the lives who were lost.”

US will try to evacuate some Afghan visa applicants past the Aug. 31 deadline, Biden says

President Biden said the US will try to evacuate some Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants out of Afghanistan past the Aug. 31 deadline, but he did not guarantee their extraction.

Asked what his message is to those Afghans who can’t make it to the airport by the deadline, Biden said: “We’re going to try to continue to get them out. It matters.”

Biden added, “There are, I would argue, millions of [Afghan] citizens who are not Taliban, who did not actively cooperate with us as SIVs, who, if given a chance, they would be on board a plane tomorrow. It sounds ridiculous but the vast majority of people in communities like that want to come to America, given the choice. So, getting every single person out can’t be guaranteed by anybody because there’s a determination of all who want to get out as well.”

Key things to know about ISIS-K, the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan

President Biden said Thursday that he has ordered up plans to strike ISIS-K targets following the attack near the Kabul airport.

“To those who carried out this attack as well as anyone who wishes America harm know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said.

ISIS in Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, claimed that an ISIS militant carried out the suicide attack, but provided no evidence to support the claim.

US officials have been warning over the past week that a threat of a terror attack at the airport was becoming more acute. Earlier on Thursday local time, US diplomats in Kabul warned American citizens to “immediately” leave several gates into the airport, citing security threats.

But who are ISIS-K? ISIS-Khorasan is a branch of the terror group that first emerged in Syria and Iraq. While the affiliates share an ideology and tactics, the depth of their relationship with regards to organization and command and control has never been entirely established.

US intelligence officials previously told CNN the ISIS-K membership includes “a small number of veteran jihadists from Syria and other foreign terrorist fighters,” saying that the US had identified 10 to 15 of their top operatives in Afghanistan. The group’s name comes from its terminology for the area that includes Afghanistan and Pakistan: “Khorasan.” 

The US Defense Department Inspector-General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) said in a report covering the months April to June of this year that “ISIS-Khorasan exploited the political instability and rise in violence during the quarter by attacking minority sectarian targets and infrastructure to spread fear and highlight the Afghan government’s inability to provide adequate security.”

ISIS-K has formed cells in Kabul which have carried out a number of devastating suicide attacks in and beyond the Afghan capital since 2016. 

The group has built up a presence in eastern Afghanistan in recent years, especially in the provinces of Nangahar and Kunar. Last August, the group attacked the main prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangahar, in an effort to free dozens of their supporters who had been captured by the Afghan army and police.

Read more about the group here.

CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Jim Sciutto and Tim Lister contributed reporting to this post.

Biden stands by decision to withdraw from Afghanistan: "It was time to end a 20-year war"

President Joe Biden answers questions from members of the media from the East Room of the White House on August 26 in Washington, DC.

President Biden said he squarely stands by his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

“I have never been of the view that we should be sacrificing American lives to try to establish a democratic government in Afghanistan, a country that has never once in its entire history been a united country,” Biden said.

“Our interest in going was to prevent al Qaeda from reemerging, first to get [Osama] bin Laden, wipe out al Qaeda in Afghanistan, prevent that from happening again. As I’ve said 100 times, terrorism has metastasized around the world. We have greater threats coming out of other countries, a heck of a lot closer to the United States,” Biden said.

Biden: US evacuation mission will continue and not be "deterred by terrorists" 

President Biden said today’s attack near the Kabul airport will not stop the US’ mission to evacuate American citizens and Afghan civilians from Afghanistan.

Biden said his commanders on the ground have “made it clear that we can and we must complete this mission and we will, and that’s what I’ve ordered them to do.”

Biden said he’s told his commanders to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities.

“We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place that we choose and at the moment of our choosing,” he said.

The President stressed that he is was confident in the US’ completion of the mission.

“Here’s what you need to know. These ISIS terrorists will not win. We will rescue the Americans in there. We will get our Afghan allies out and our mission will go on,” the President said. “America will not be intimidated, and I have the utmost confidence in our brave service members that continue to execute this mission with courage and honor to save lives and get our Americans and partners and our Afghan allies out of Afghanistan.”

Some more context: US officials believe the group, ISIS-K, was likely behind today’s attack but are still working to confirm its involvement, according to a senior US official and another source briefed on initial assessments. The second source told CNN it may take a few hours before US officials are able to identify the specific individuals who carried out the apparent suicide bombing.

The US believes ISIS-K, which is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, wants to create mayhem at the airport and has intelligence streams suggesting it is capable and planning to carry out multiple attacks, a defense official told CNN Wednesday.

CNN’s Zachary Cohen and Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting to this post.

Biden says while no one trusts the Taliban, it was not a mistake to rely on them to secure airport perimeter

When asked if he thought it was a mistake to depend on the Taliban to secure the perimeter of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in the wake of deadly attacks, President Biden said, “No, I don’t.”

“It’s not what you would call a tightly commanded regimented operation like the US military is, but they are acting in their interests … I’ve asked this very same question to military on the ground whether or not it’s a useful exercise,” Biden said from the White House.  

Biden said there is no evidence so far of any collusion between the Taliban and ISIS carrying out the airport attack.

During a Pentagon briefing earlier today, US Central Command head Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie was asked whether he trusts the Taliban.

“As to whether or not I trust them … that’s a word I use very carefully. You’ve heard me say before, ‘it’s not what they say; it’s what they do.’ They have a practical reason for wanting us to get out of here by the 31st of August. They want to reclaim the airfield. We want to get out by that day, too, if it’s possible to do so. So we share a common purpose. As long as we keep that common purpose alive, they’ve been useful to work with. They’ve cut some of our security concerns down and they’ve been useful to work with going forward,” McKenzie said.

Biden: "I bear responsibility for fundamentally all that's happened of late"

President Biden took responsibility for what has recently occurred in Afghanistan during remarks made at the White House Thursday afternoon following a deadly attack that killed more than 60 people near Kabul airport, including a dozen US service members.

“I bear responsibility for fundamentally all that’s happened of late. Here’s the deal, you know … that the former president made a deal with the Taliban to get all American forces out of Afghanistan by May 1,” Biden said. “Imagine where we’d be if I had indicated on May 1, I was not going to renegotiate an evacuation date. We were going to stay there. I had only one alternative, for thousands of more troops back into Afghanistan to fight a war.”

Biden added: “I have never been of the view that we should be sacrificing American lives to try to establish a democratic government in Afghanistan, a country that has never once in its entire history been a united country.”

Biden says he's ordered plans to strike ISIS-K

President Joe Biden speaks from the East Room of the White House on August 26 in Washington, DC.

President Biden revealed Thursday that he has ordered military commanders “to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities.”

“We will respond with force and precision in our time, in a place we choose in a manner of our choosing,” Biden said, declining to give specifics on timing.

“These ISIS terrorists will not win. We will rescue the Americans. We will get our Afghan allies out. And our mission will go on,” the President said. “America will not be intimidated.”

Biden says he will "grant" additional forces in Afghanistan if US military needs it

President Biden left the door open for more military assistance in Afghanistan during remarks Thursday following an attack at Kabul airport that killed more than 60 people, including 12 US service members.

“I’ve instructed the military with whatever they need if they need additional force, I will grant it. But the military, from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Joint Chiefs, the commanders in the field, have all contacted me one way or another usually by letter saying they subscribe to the mission as designed,” Biden said during remarks from White House.

Some context: Biden said Tuesday the US was on track to complete its hurried airlift in Afghanistan by Aug. 31, acknowledging he does not plan to keep American troops in the country any longer even as questions remain over who will be able to leave and when.

Biden to the families of service members and Afghans who died: "My heart aches for you"

President Joe Biden speaks from the East Room of the White House on August 26 in Washington, DC.

President Biden addressed the families of service members and Afghans who were killed during a terrorist attack at Kabul’s airport.

“Jill and I, our hearts ache like I’m sure all of you do as well, for all those Afghan families who lost loved ones including small children, or have been wounded with this vicious attack and we’re outraged as well as heartbroken,” Biden said from his remarks at the White House.

Biden said he could relate to the families loss, referring to his experience with losing his son Beau Biden, a military veteran who died of brain cancer after returning from serving in Iraq.

He continued, “We have some sense like many of you do, what the families of these brave heroes are feeling today. You get this feeling like you’re being sucked into a black hole in the middle of your chest. There’s no way out. My heart aches for you. And I know this, we have a continuing obligation, a sacred obligation to all of you families of those heroes. That obligation is not temporary. It lasts forever.”

Biden holds moment of silence for Americans who gave "the last full measure of devotion"

President Joe Biden pauses for a moment of silence from the East Room of the White House on August 26 in Washington, DC.

During remarks on the attack in Afghanistan, President Biden held a moment of silence “for all those in uniform and out of uniform, military and civilian, of giving the last full measure of devotion.”

Biden to those responsible for Kabul airport attack: "We will hunt you down"

President Biden issued a warning to those responsible for the Kabul airport attack in Afghanistan today that killed 12 US service members, saying, “We will hunt you down and make you pay.”

“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests and our people will every measure at my command,” Biden said at the White House.

At least 15 additional US service members were injured, and an official with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health said that more than 60 Afghans were dead and 140 wounded in the attack.

US officials believe the group ISIS-K was likely behind today’s attack but are still working to confirm its involvement, according to a senior US official and another source briefed on initial assessments. 

Biden says 12 US service members were heroes who "engaged in a dangerous selfless mission"

President Biden acknowledged the attack at Kabul airport and specifically recognized the 12 US service members killed, calling Thursday “a tough day.”

“These American service members who gave their lives, it’s an overused word but it’s totally appropriate here, were heroes; heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous selfless mission to save the lives of others,” Biden said today during a speech from the White House Thursday. “They are a part of an airlift and evacuation effort unlike any seen in history with more than 100,000 American citizens, American partners, Afghans who helped us and others taken to safety in the last 11 days.”

Some context: The attack claimed more than 60 lives while at least 140 other people were injured, according to an Afghan public health official. Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, confirmed US service members were killed and injured in the attack, saying, “it’s a hard day today.”

McKenzie said the attack included two suicide bombers followed by gunmen opening fire. There were at least two explosions near a gate at the Kabul airport today. They came as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of Biden’s Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

Watch:

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01:02 - Source: cnn

NOW: Biden speaks following Kabul airport attack 

President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 26.

President Biden is speaking from the White House following two bombing attacks outside the Kabul airport that killed 12 US service members and dozens of Afghans.

This is the first time the public has heard from the President since the attacks, and his remarks come after the US’ top general in the Middle East spoke to reporters about the situation in the country at a Pentagon briefing.

Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, said they are working to determine who is behind the deadly attack and “are prepared to take action against them.” The general said they are also focused on other “extremely active threat streams” to the airfield.

US officials had been warned over the past week that a threat of a terror attack at the airport was becoming more acute. A US defense official had also told CNN that officials were concerned by a “very specific threat stream” involving the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan.

The attacks near the airport come as the US and other Western countries race to complete a massive evacuation following the Taliban takeover of the country. McKenzie said that the evacuations will continue despite the attack.

“Our mission is to evacuate US citizens, third country nationals, Special Immigrant Visa holders, US embassy staff, and Afghans at risk. Despite this attack, we are continuing the mission, the evacuation at best speed,” he said.

Coalition forces have conducted controlled explosions at Kabul airport

Coalition forces have conducted a series of scheduled and controlled explosions within Hamid Karzai International airport, US CENTCOM spokesperson Maj. John Rigsbee told CNN.

Earlier this week Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said as “if there needs to be destruction or other disposition of equipment there at Hamid Karzai International Airport, then we’ll do that and we’ll do that appropriately” if the US and coalition cannot take some equipment.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, meanwhile, tweeted after reports of additional blasts near Kabul after Thursday’s attack, “Today late in the evening, sound of explosions were heard inside the Kabul Airport. The explosions were carried out by the American forces to destroy their equipment. Kabul residents should not be worried.”

Former US counterterrorism adviser says situation in Afghanistan "should have not happened"

The sight of violence and people desperate to escape Kabul struck a chord with Ahmad Shah Mohibi, a former counterterrorism adviser in Afghanistan whose family worked with the US government during its presence in the country over the past 20 years.

Mohibi, whose parents were evacuated from Afghanistan on Monday, spoke with CNN about his experience working with the US following an attack at Kabul’s airport that killed more than 60 people.

“I look at my nephews and nieces and the pictures of them sleeping in the dirt. It really made me to think this is not what we deserve. Look, hundreds of SIVs, they are calling me, ‘can you help us?’ And I said, ‘I cannot,’” Mohibi said. “This should have not happened. … All these great people supported the US mission of Afghanistan with combat and terrorism.”

Some context: US Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, said Thursday that although the “threat from ISIS is extremely real,” troops are still assisting with bringing people onto the airfield at Kabul’s airport.

“We are continuing to bring people onto the airfield. We just brought a number of buses aboard the airfield over the last couple or three hours. We’ll continue to process and flow people out. The plan is designed to operate under stress and under attack. And we will coordinate to make sure it’s safe for American citizens to come to the airfield. If it’s not, we’ll tell them to hold and work other ways to get them to the airport. We’ll continue to flow them out until the end of the month,” he said.

McKenzie also said that officials expect attacks to continue, and “we’re doing everything we can to prevent those attacks.” 

France will see evacuation operation in Kabul "through to the end," president says

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at Trinity College in Dublin on August 26.

France will see its mission to evacuate people from Afghanistan “through to the end” despite Thursday’s deadly attack at Kabul’s airport, the Élysée Palace said in a statement. 

“The president of the republic condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that took place near Kabul airport today. The president expresses his condolences to the families of the American and Afghan victims, expresses his support for the wounded, and salutes the heroism of those who are on the ground to carry out the evacuation operations,” the statement read. “France will see them through to the end and will maintain its humanitarian and protection efforts for Afghans under threat.” 

The statement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron’s news conference during which he told reporters that he could not guarantee the success of France’s evacuation mission due to the security situation in Afghanistan. 

A lot has happened following the attack near Kabul's airport. Here's what you need to know

A person wounded in a bomb blast outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Thursday, Aug. 26, arrives at a hospital in Kabul.

Twelve US service members were killed and 15 more were injured following an attack near Kabul’s airport, Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, announced Thursday at a briefing.

McKenzie spoke at length this afternoon about the situation near Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, where, according to an official with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, more than 60 people were killed.

President Biden will deliver remarks on the attack at 5 p.m. ET, according to the the White House schedule.

Here’s the latest:

  • The casualties: In total, more than 60 people were killed and at least 140 were injured, according to an Afghan public health official. McKenzie confirmed US service members were killed and injured in the attack, saying, “it’s a hard day today.”
  • Nature of the attack: McKenzie said the attack included two suicide bombers followed by gunmen opening fire. There were at least two explosions near a gate at the Kabul airport today. They came as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of President Biden’s Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.
  • Threats persist: McKenzie said that while they continue to investigate the perpetrators of today’s attack against Kabul airport, they are also focused on other “extremely active threat streams” to the airfield. The general explained that these threats mean they could be “imminent” and “could occur at any moment” and could include rocket attacks, vehicle attacks or a vest-wearing suicide attacker. McKenzie said they are coordinating with the Taliban on security for the airport and that the US mission is continuing despite the attack, and that the US will “go after” the people responsible for the attack.
  • Americans still in Afghanistan: There are roughly 1,000 Americans left in Afghanistan following the attack, according to the Pentagon. “As of today we have 5,000 evacuees on the ramp awaiting air left. Since August 14, we’ve evacuated more than 104,000 civilians, over 66,000 by the United States and over 37,000 by our allies and partners. … As the secretary of state said yesterday, we believe there are about a little more than 1,000 Americans left in Afghanistan at this point,” McKenzie said.
  • Evacuation efforts will continue: While the “threat from ISIS is extremely real,” troops are still assisting with bringing people onto the airfield at Kabul’s airport, McKenzie said. “We are continuing to bring people onto the airfield. We just brought a number of buses aboard the airfield over the last couple or three hours. We’ll continue to process and flow people out. The plan is designed to operate under stress and under attack. And we will coordinate to make sure it’s safe for American citizens to come to the airfield. If it’s not, we’ll tell them to hold and work other ways to get them to the airport. We’ll continue to flow them out until the end of the month,” he said.

Biden will speak on Kabul attack today

President Biden will speak today on the attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, a source familiar with the plans tells CNN.

He plans to speak at 5 p.m. ET, a source said.

CENTCOM commander was asked if he trusts the Taliban. "It's not what they say; it's what they do," he says.

US Central Command head Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie said the Taliban and US do share a “common purpose” in the Afghanistan evacuation mission.

When asked if he trusts the Taliban or if the group allowed the Kabul airport attack to happen, here’s how he responded:

“As to whether they let it happen, I don’t know. I don’t think there’s anything to convince me that they let it happen. As to whether or not I trust them … that’s a word I use very carefully. You’ve heard me say before, ‘it’s not what they say; it’s what they do.’ They have a practical reason for wanting us to get out of here by the 31st of August. They want to reclaim the airfield. We want to get out by that day, too, if it’s possible to do so. So we share a common purpose. As long as we keep that common purpose alive, they’ve been useful to work with. They’ve cut some of our security concerns down and they’ve been useful to work with going forward,” McKenzie said.

“Now long-term, I don’t know what that’s going to be. I will tell you this: Any time you build a noncombatant evacuation plan like this and you bring in forces, you expect to be attacked. We thought this would happen sooner or later. It’s tragic that happened today. It’s tragic there is this much loss of life. We are prepared to continue the mission. … I think we can continue to conduct our mission even while we’re receiving attacks like this,” he said.  

There are "extremely active threat streams" against Kabul airfield, top US general in the Middle East says 

Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, said that while they continue to investigate the perpetrators of today’s attack against Kabul airport, they are also focused on other “extremely active threat streams” to the airfield.

“But right now our focus really, we have other active threat streams, extremely active threat streams against the airfield, we want to make sure we are taking the steps to protect ourselves there. Our focus is on that,” he said.

“Right now, our focus is going forward and ensuring another attack of this nature does not occur, because as you know, typically the pattern is multiple attacks and we want to be prepared and be ready to defend against that,” he continued.

The general explained that these threats mean they could be “imminent” and “could occur at any moment” and could include rocket attacks, vehicle attacks or a vest-wearing suicide attacker.

The general noted that over the next days they will learn more about the attack at the airport and hope to share more information.

Pentagon working to determine who's behind the attack: "We're prepared to take action against them"

Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, is working to determine who is behind the deadly attack at Kabul’s airport.

“We are working very hard right now to determine attribution, to determine who is associated with this cowardly attack and we’re prepared to take action against them — 24/7 we are looking for them,” he said.

McKenzie went on to say they expected this kind of an attack and called the ISIS threat “extremely real.”  He added that they expect attacks will continue.

“We’re doing everything we can to be prepared for those attacks,” McKenzie said. 

The general said they are coordinating with the Taliban on security for the airport and that the US mission is continuing despite the attack, and that the US will “go after” the people responsible for the attack.

Twelve members of the US military were killed and 15 more were injured in the attack, McKenzie said. In total, more than 60 people were killed and at least 140 were injured, according to Afghan health officials.

Evacuation efforts are continuing despite attacks, US Central Command head says

While the “threat from ISIS is extremely real,” troops are still assisting with bringing people onto the airfield at Kabul’s airport, according to Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, commander of US Central Command.

“We are continuing to bring people onto the airfield. We just brought a number of buses aboard the airfield over the last couple or three hours. We’ll continue to process and flow people out. The plan is designed to operate under stress and under attack. And we will coordinate to make sure it’s safe for American citizens to come to the airfield. If it’s not, we’ll tell them to hold and work other ways to get them to the airport. We’ll continue to flow them out until the end of the month,” he said.

McKenzie also said that officials expect attacks to continue and “we’re doing everything we can to prevent those attacks.” 

There are roughly 1,000 Americans left in Afghanistan, head of US Central Command says

Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, said there are roughly 1,000 Americans left in Afghanistan following an attack at Kabul’s airport Thursday.

“We continue to focus on the protection of our forces and the evacuees as the evacuation continues. Let me be clear, while we’re saddened by the loss of life, both US and Afghan, we’re continuing to execute the mission. Our mission is to evacuate US citizens, third-country nationals, Special Immigrant Visa holders, US embassy staff and Afghans at risk. Despite this attack, we are continuing the mission,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie added: “As of today we have 5,000 evacuees on the ramp awaiting air left. Since August 14, we’ve evacuated more than 104,000 civilians, over 66,000 by the United States and over 37,000 by our allies and partners. …  As the secretary of state said yesterday, we believe there are about a little more than 1,000 Americans left in Afghanistan at this point.”

12 US service members killed in Kabul airport attack

Gen. Frank McKenzie, seen on a TV, and Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

Twelve members of the US military were killed and 15 more were injured in the attack at Kabul’s airport, Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, said at a briefing.

“It’s a hard day today,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie said the attack included two suicide bombers followed by gunmen opening fire.

There were at least two explosions near a gate at the Kabul airport today. They came as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of President Biden’s Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

Prior to Thursday, the last America troops killed in Afghanistan were in February 2020.

NOW: Pentagon officials speak following Kabul airport attack

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr., commander of US Central Command, and Pentagon press secretary John Kirby are speaking to reporters after at least two explosions were reported near a gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

Kirby confirmed in a statement that “a number” of US service members have been killed in the airport attack and “a number of others” are being treated for wounds. He did not provide specific numbers on casualties.

The Pentagon also noted the US is aware of Afghan victims.

Afghan health ministry: More than 60 killed in Kabul airport attack

Volunteers and medical staff unload bodies from a pickup truck outside a hospital after explosions in Kabul on August 26.

The terrorist attack in Kabul today left more than 60 people dead and at least 140 people wounded, an official with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health tells CNN.

There were at least two blasts near the airport earlier today. The Pentagon earlier confirmed multiple US service members and Afghans were killed.

Defense secretary briefed Pelosi and Schumer on Afghanistan today

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the situation in Afghanistan by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin by phone today, her spokesperson Drew Hammill tells CNN. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has also been briefed by the defense secretary on the situation, according to a statement from his office.

“I strongly condemn this act of terrorism and it must be clear to the world that the terrorists who perpetrated this will be sought and brought to justice,” Schumer said in the statement. 

UK will continue evacuation operation despite Kabul attack, prime minister says

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves following a visit at Northwood Headquarters, the British Armed Forces Permanent Joint Headquarters on August 26.

The United Kingdom will continue its evacuation operation from Kabul despite the attack near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday. 

“I can confirm there has been a barbaric terrorist attack, what looks like a series of attacks, in Kabul on the airport, on the crowds of the airport, in which members of the US military have sadly lost their lives and many Afghan casualties as well,” Johnson said. “I think [these attacks] are despicable, but I’m afraid that this is something we have had to prepare for. It isn’t going to interrupt our progress, we are going to get on with our evacuation.”

Speaking to British media in London, Johnson said his government has “already extracted the overwhelming majority” of people eligible for evacuation to the UK from Afghanistan.

“We’re going to continue with that operation and we’re now coming towards the end of it, to the very end of it,” Johnson said. “What this attack shows is the importance of continuing that work in as fast and as efficient manner as possible in the hours that remain to us, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Germany will continue to support those trying to leave Afghanistan, chancellor says

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a press conference as she meets with economic and financial organizations in Berlin at the German chancellery on August 26.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that those who have not yet been able to access evacuation flights from Kabul will not be forgotten, adding that the German Foreign Ministry is still in negotiations with the Taliban.

“We know that the window of opportunity is closing. Tens of thousands of people have been rescued but I want to say again today: we will not forget those people who could not be rescued by the air bridge. Rather we will do everything we can to enable their evacuation,” Merkel said.  

“We are in negotiations with the Taliban, being carried out by the foreign ministry, especially Ambassador [Markus] Potzel, and there will be international coordination as to how to proceed,” she added. 

Speaking during a news conference in Berlin, Merkel addressed the unfolding situation in Kabul following explosions at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, describing the incident as a “malicious and vile attack.”

“There have been warnings about this coming in over the last few days and that it has now actually happened is of course terrible news,” Merkel said. 

“We see in this attack this afternoon that the risk is immense and that this is a very high pressure situation under which people are trying to get the people evacuated and to maintain the air bridge,” she added. 

Top Republican congressman says Biden "must take decisive action to protect our troops"

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called on President Biden to take “decisive action to protect our troops, our citizens, and our allies without regard for an arbitrary deadline.”

McCarthy urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to act quickly to brief Congress on the blasts near the Kabul airport.

“It is time for Congress to act quickly to save lives. Speaker Pelosi must bring Congress back into session before August 31 so that we can be briefed thoroughly and comprehensively by the Biden Administration and pass Representative Gallagher’s legislation prohibiting the withdrawal of our troops until every American is out of Afghanistan,” the California Republican said in a statement.

McCarthy extended his condolences to the families of those injured and killed in the attacks.

“Today’s attacks are horrific. My prayers go out to those who were injured and the families of those who were killed. I also continue to pray for the safety of our troops, the stranded American citizens, our allies and Afghan partners who remain in the area. Our enemies have taken advantage of the chaotic nature of the withdrawal,” he said.

Pentagon confirms "a number" of US service members killed in Kabul airport attack

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby tweeted that he can confirm that “a number” of US service members have been killed in the airport attack.

The official also said “a number of others” are being treated for wounds. He noted that the US is also aware that Afghans “fell victim” to this attack.

He did not provide exact numbers.

See Kirby’s tweet:

If Biden "does not respond where he can" to blasts, it could embolden possible terrorists, GOP lawmaker says

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said the two explosions that took place near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport should serve as a “reminder to Americans that when it comes to war, it’s not just one side that can decide if they want that war to end.”

Kinzinger said members of Congress were in a briefing this week and “were warned of this exact threat.” The blasts happened near one of the entry gates of the airport and appear to be suicide attacks, according to three US officials.

He said that while “there’s no good answer to this,” if President Biden does not respond to the explosions, it could embolden terrorist groups. 

“I think if the President does not respond where he can, if the President does not follow through on the commitment — even though this is going to slow up the evacuation — to get every American out, and the promises we have made to our Afghan partners, the view of us not responding after this attack and then fleeing from the Kabul airport, I think, will do a lot to embolden those that now have an easy way to go out and recruit other radicals to fight the United States of America and our partners,” said Kinzinger, an Air Force pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The Taliban have acted like they’re going to secure the perimeter [of the airport]. They obviously did not. So I think there’s a case for the United States to make that we are not leaving until all Americans and all the Afghans that are SIVs that we’ve promised are safe, and we will go outside of the gate to get them if necessary,” he said. 

Kinzinger said the Biden administration should double-down on intelligence in place to monitor threats. 

“If we leave now without following through on our mission and our commitment to Americans and our Afghan partners, that will actually do more damage than any suicide bomb did today,” he said.

US officials believe ISIS-K likely responsible for attack, but still working to confirm, sources say

US officials believe ISIS-K was likely behind the attack at Kabul airport but are still working to confirm the terror group’s involvement, according to a senior US official and another source briefed on initial assessments. 

The second source told CNN it may take a few hours before US officials are able to identify the specific individuals who carried out the apparent suicide bombing, which should confirm ISIS-K was responsible. 

Warning signals have been out there for three days, the sources added. 

Over the past week President Biden and the Pentagon have warned of an ISIS attack at the airport as the threat became more acute. 

Biden has used this as rationale for getting US troops out by the deadline. He also promised a swift and forceful response to any disruption to the operation. 

On Wednesday, CNN reported that concerns about security around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul have increased based on “a very specific threat stream” from ISIS-K about planned attacks against crowds outside the airport

The US believes ISIS-K, which is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, wants to create mayhem at the airport and has intelligence streams suggesting it is capable and planning to carry out multiple attacks, a defense official told CNN Wednesday.

Biden's schedule upended by Kabul airport attack

President Biden’s schedule has been upended by the attacks near Kabul airport Thursday. 

“There will be updates to the President’s schedule, which we will share as they become available,” the White House said in a statement Thursday afternoon. 

Biden was meeting in the Situation Room with top national security officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, when the attack took place. CNN observed Blinken, Austin, and Milley arriving in the West Wing early in the 9 a.m. ET hour and the meeting was set to begin at 9:15 a.m. Vice President Kamala Harris attended the meeting virtually aboard Air Force Two as she traveled from Vietnam to Guam, and commanders on the ground were also in attendance virtually, according to the White House.

CNN reported on the first explosion outside the Kabul airport at 9:40 a.m. ET.  

It was not immediately clear when the meeting concluded, but as CNN’s Phil Mattingly reported, Biden and aides remained in the Situation Room for some time as the events developed.

Biden, according to the White House, “will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day.” 

The remaining events on the official White House daily guidance for Thursday have been indefinitely postponed or canceled. 

A 10:30 a.m. briefing with Biden’s Covid-19 response team was postponed to 10:45 a.m. and then postponed indefinitely, a White House official telling those logged into the Zoom that “due to worldwide circumstances,” the briefing was “delayed to a to-be-determined time.”

A noon press briefing with press secretary Jen Psaki has also been “delayed.”

Biden had been set to meet with new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at 11:30 a.m. That meeting has been postponed to a time to be determined. Around noon on Thursday, the group of reporters traveling with Bennett returned to their hotel. 

And a meeting between Biden and a bipartisan group of governors on resettling Afghan refugees set for 3 p.m. has been canceled. 

As of 12:15 p.m., CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that Biden is in the Oval Office. 

Biden's national security meeting has wrapped

President Biden’s national security meeting has wrapped up, the White House confirmed.

The President met with his national security team this morning, including Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, and commanders on the ground. He will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day,” the White House said in a statement.

A press briefing, initially scheduled for 12 p.m. ET, has been delayed.

“The President’s virtual meeting with governors on Afghan refugees, which was scheduled for 3 p.m., has been canceled,” the White House said.  

UK Defense Ministry says no UK military or government casualties were reported following blasts

There have been “no reported UK military or UK Government casualties” following an explosion at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, the UK Ministry of Defense tweeted Thursday.  

“UK forces are working closely with our partners to provide security and medical assistance,” the ministry added.  

According to a UK government spokesperson, the British government is “working urgently to establish what has happened and its impact on the ongoing evacuation effort” in Kabul. 

“Our primary concern remains the safety of our personnel, British citizens and the citizens of Afghanistan. We are in close contact with our US and other NATO allies at an operational level on the immediate response to this incident,” the spokesperson added. 

Downing Street has confirmed to CNN that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to chair an emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) meeting Thursday afternoon (local time). 

Harris has also been briefed on the Kabul airport attack

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a press conference before departing Vietnam for the United States on August 26.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been briefed on the situation in Afghanistan, a White House official said.

The official went on to say Harris, who’s currently at Andersen Air Base in Guam, will continue to be updated.

President Biden was briefed on the situation in Afghanistan.

Here's where the explosions occurred

At least two explosions took place near the Kabul airport on Thursday as the US and other countries try to evacuate their citizens and Afghans at risk from the Taliban.

Three US officials and a source familiar with the situation said that, according to initial reports, there were some US personnel among the casualties.

Here’s a look at where the explosions happened:

We're still waiting for Pentagon press briefing on the Kabul airport explosions 

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby and Army Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor are expected to speak to reporters today after at least two explosions were reported near a gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

The Pentagon was originally scheduled to brief the media at 10:30 a.m. ET. New guidance on timing has not yet been shared.

The number of casualties is still unclear, but Kirby said in a tweet earlier today that a “complex attack” resulted in “a number” of US and civilian casualties.

According to initial reports, there are some US personnel among the wounded in the explosion, three US officials and a source familiar with the situation told CNN.

We will cover this briefing live here when it happens.

French president says coming hours "will remain extremely dangerous" in Kabul

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday the “coming hours will remain extremely dangerous in Kabul and at the airport,” following two explosions outside the Kabul airport.

Speaking at a joint news conference with the Irish prime minister, Macron said the situation around Kabul airport had seriously deteriorated.

“We are confronted with a very tense situation and we are coordinating with our American allies,” Macron said

“As we speak, we have 20 buses of binational citizens and Afghans that we would like to be able to repatriate,” he said, adding that figure represents “several hundreds of people still in danger.”

“I cannot guarantee that we will be successful because the security situation is beyond our control,” he said.

Macron said for security reasons the French ambassador will not be staying in Afghanistan. He will be leaving and will then be based in Paris. 

UK prime minister will hold an emergency meeting following Kabul airport attack

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) meeting, following an explosion at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, a Downing Street spokesperson told CNN.  

According to the spokesperson, the meeting “will begin shortly.”

There have been at least two explosions near a gate at Kabul’s airport this morning that “resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,” the Pentagon said.

Images show scene near Kabul airport after explosion 

Images from the ground in Kabul show the scene near the Hamid Karzai International Airport, where at least two explosions took place near the Abbey Gate, according to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon confirmed a “complex attack” resulted in “a number” of US and civilian casualties.

One explosion took place at the Abbey Gate and another “at or near” the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. 

President Biden is in the Situation Room

President Biden is currently in the Situation Room, a White House official says. He was briefed on the situation in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are with him.

Biden was in the Situation Room with his national security team for his daily Afghanistan briefing when the information of an explosion came in, according to a senior administration official. He and his top aides have remained there as they continue to receive information from the ground and as events continue to develop, the official said. 

The President’s meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, has been delayed, a US official said. 

Moments ago, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed that there was at least one other explosion near the airport, at or near the Baron Hotel.

He said he can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was a “result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties.”

Pentagon confirms second explosion near Kabul airport and "a number of US and civilian casualties"

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed that there was at least one other explosion near the airport, this at or near the Baron Hotel.

He said he can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was a “result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties.”

Note: The term “casualties” can refer to those wounded or dead.

See Kirby’s tweet:

Biden warned of a potential attack in Kabul multiple times over past week

President Biden has warned of the possibility of a terror attack at the airport as the threat became more acute, particularly naming ISIS-K in Afghanistan as the greatest threat.

He has used this as rationale for getting US troops out by the deadline.

Here’s a timeline of what he’s said over the past few days:

Aug. 20: 

“We’re also keeping a close watch on any potential terrorist threat at or around the airport, including from the ISIS affiliates in Afghanistan who were released from prison when the prisons were emptied. And because they are, by the way – to make everybody understand – that the ISIS in Afghanistan are the – have been the sworn enemy of the Taliban. 
I’ve said all along: We’re going to retain a laser-focus on our counterterrorism mission, working in close coordination with our allies and our partners and all those who have an interest in ensuring stability in the region.” 

Aug. 22

“They’re maintaining constant vigilance to mon- – we’re maintaining the constant vigilance to monitor and disrupt threats from any source, including the likely source being ISIS – ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate referred to as “ISIS-K.” But we are under no illusions about the threat.
I said on Friday, ISIS-K is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, and they have a history of fighting one another. But every day we have troops on the ground, these troops and innocent civilians at the airport face the risk of attack from ISIS-K from a distance, even though we’re moving back the perimeter significantly.”

Aug. 24

“There are real and significant challenges that we also have to take into consideration. The longer we stay, starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan – which is the sworn enemy of the Taliban as well – every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and Allied forces and innocent civilians.” 

Some background: CNN reported earlier that there was a grave and specific ISIS-K terror threat targeting crowds around the airport, and the US Embassy in Kabul advised US citizens at airport gates to “leave immediately.”

The attack comes as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of President Biden’s Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline. 

How US lawmakers are reacting to the Kabul airport attack

The Pentagon has confirmed there was an explosion near a gate at Kabul’s airport which “resulted in an unknown number of casualties.” According to initial reports, there are some US personnel among the wounded, according to three US officials and a source familiar with the situation.

Back in the US, some lawmakers tweeted about the explosion and the developing situation.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney described the attack as “horrific,” saying that his “heart breaks” for the wounded. 

Other Republicans blamed the White House: House GOP lawmaker Lisa McClain said, “Americans are dying at the hands of President Biden’s catastrophic withdrawal,” and Rep. Jim Banks referenced “Biden’s incompetence.”

We will continue to update this post as more reactions come in.

Initial reports that US personnel among wounded in Kabul airport explosion, according to US officials

According to initial reports, there are some US personnel among the wounded in the explosion outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to three US officials and a source familiar with the situation.

Moment ago, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby tweeted: “We can confirm that the explosion near the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport has resulted in an unknown number of casualties. We will continue to update.”

Pentagon confirms explosion near Kabul airport gate resulting in "unknown number" of casualties

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby just tweeted that an explosion near the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport has resulted in an “unknown number of casualties.”

President Biden has been briefed on the explosion.

Here’s Kirby’s tweet:

US Embassy in Kabul security alert advises US citizens to avoid airport

The US Embassy in Kabul just sent an alert saying, “US citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately” in the wake of a blast at the Hamid Karzai International Airport Thursday. 

“There has been a large explosion at the airport, and there are reports of gunfire,” the security alert said.

“U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time,” it added.

Read the full alert below:

Event: EXPLOSION AT THE ABBEY GATE OF KABUL AIRPORT, REPORTS OF GUNFIRE

There has been a large explosion at the airport, and there are reports of gunfire.

U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time.

U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately.

Actions to take:

  • Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially in large crowds.
  • Follow the instructions of local authorities including movement restrictions related to curfews.
  • Have a contingency plan for emergencies and review the Traveler’s Checklist.
  • Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.

Officials: Explosion at Kabul airport appears to be a suicide attack

The explosion outside the airport in Kabul was at one of the entry gates and appears to be a suicide attack, according to three US officials. 

There have been crowds of Afghans at the gates trying to gain access to the airport.

President Biden has been briefed on the explosion outside Kabul airport, a White House official says.

Biden briefed on explosion outside Kabul's airport

President Biden has been briefed on the explosion outside Kabul airport, a White House official says.

Moments ago, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed there was an explosion but said possible casualties are unclear.

Explosion reported outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, Pentagon says 

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed there was an explosion outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.

According to one US official, there are injuries among Afghans, but there is no information yet on any US casualties.

CNN’s Barbara Starr noted that the situation continues to develop, and there are still few answers on what occurred.

Polish evacuation effort in Afghanistan will end Thursday, prime minister says 

The Polish evacuation effort in Afghanistan will end Thursday, according to a statement from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. 

The statement posted on Twitter announced that the “evacuation operation for Poles and Polish associates” ends Thursday. 

According to Morawiecki the Polish evacuation operation began in June “when the situation in Poland began to deteriorate.”

The prime minister added that Poland “will provide support on Polish territory to all evacuees from Afghanistan.”

A further tweet from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland said that “thanks to diplomatic and coordination actions” Poland had “managed to help 937 people.”

At least 356 children were included amongst the 937 people, the Chancellery said, adding that a total of 14 flights had departed from Afghanistan to Poland.

“We helped our allies to evacuate partners from Lithuania, Estonia and the International Monetary Fund,” it said. 

Top US diplomat in Kabul: There undoubtedly will be people who want to leave "who will be unable to"

The top US diplomat in Afghanistan on Thursday acknowledged that “there undoubtedly will be people in this country who would like to get out who will be unable to” as US evacuation efforts draw to a close.

Amb. Ross Wilson said the United States and other nations were working to try to make sure that Afghans who want to leave the country after Aug. 31 are permitted to do so by the Taliban, but he did not offer any guarantees.

Speaking about the evacuation efforts so far, Wilson said, “our primary focus, I’ll be direct on this, has been American citizens.”

“That’s the charge from President Biden and that’s what we’ve been working on most aggressively,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”  

“We have also worked very aggressively to get, to facilitate the evacuation of nationals from European and other countries who are here, to facilitate the evacuation of those who work for us, and, as well as those who have worked for us – the so called Special Immigrant Visa pool,” Wilson said.

“Each of those presents big challenges. Our effort is focused on getting the most, the most in those categories that we possibly can out, with special attention to American citizens,” he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that there were as many as 1,500 US citizens who may be seeking to leave Afghanistan. There are tens of thousands of other vulnerable Afghans who are likely to be left behind once US evacuation efforts end.

Top US diplomat in Kabul: Security threat around airport "regarded as credible, as imminent, as compelling"

The top US diplomat in Kabul, Amb. Ross Wilson, said Thursday that he could not get into the specifics of the security threat outside the gates of the Kabul airport cited in an embassy alert, but noted that “it was clearly regarded as credible, as imminent, as compelling.” 

“For American citizens in particular, we are working other ways, on an individualized basis, to assist them in getting to the airport in a safe and secure manner,” he said. 

“Being part of these huge crowds that remain around the gates, entrances to the airport, is dangerous. We’re obviously concerned about our own people as well,” Wilson said.

The US Embassy in Kabul on Wednesday evening ET time advised US citizens at a number of gates at the airport to “leave immediately,” noting “security threats outside the gates.”

The alert came as the administration has raised alarm about the potential of an attack by ISIS-K. ISIS-Khorasan is a branch of the terror group that first emerged in Syria and Iraq. While the affiliates share an ideology and tactics, the depth of their relationship with regards to organization and command and control has never been entirely established.

The US believes ISIS-K, which is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, wants to create mayhem at the airport and has intelligence streams suggesting it is capable and planning to carry out multiple attacks, according to the official.

Canada completes evacuation efforts in Afghanistan

In this image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, a Canadian coalition forces member walks through an evacuation control checkpoint during ongoing evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday, August 24.

Canada has ended its evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, Canada’s acting chief of Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said in a news conference Thursday.

Eyre says the United States told him this was “the largest military evacuation in history.”

The US and other NATO nations are still racing to evacuate their citizens from the country.

President Biden has said he is so far sticking to his Tuesday deadline for the final exit of US troops.

The latest 24-hour period evacuation numbers from the White House show a slowing pace as the airlift effort enters what is expected to be its final days.

From 3 a.m. ET Wednesday to 3 a.m. ET Thursday, 13,400 people were evacuated from Afghanistan, with about 5,100 on US military flights and 8,300 on coalition flights.

That brings the total to more than 95,700 people evacuated since Aug. 14 and more than 101,300 since the end of July.

CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed reporting to this post.

The key figures in the Taliban's leadership structure

The Taliban’s leadership structure has long been a mystery, with little known about how it works beyond the group’s most influential figures.

After seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban are moving to form a new government, with pledges of inclusivity and reform. But a look at the group’s leadership structure suggests that the nature of the new government could very well mirror the Taliban’s previous hard-line regime.

The group is led by the reclusive Haibatullah Akhundzada, a senior religious cleric in his 50s who was named chief after a US airstrike killed his predecessor in 2016. Hailing from the Taliban heartland of Spin Boldak, in southern Kandahar province, he was involved in the mujahedeen — or holy Islamic fight — against the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, and was appointed as the leader of jihadi matters in 2001, according to a Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid.

His deputy, Abdul Ghani Baradar, was a prominent member of the Taliban regime when it was last in power, and as the head of the group’s political committee is currently one of the militants’ most public facing leaders. Baradar arrived back in Afghanistan after a 20-year-exile last week.

Here’s a look at what else we know about key figures and how the Taliban’s power structure functions:

Pedestrian traffic at Pakistan-Afghanistan border has "increased significantly," officials say

A Pakistani soldier stands guard as Afghans arrive in Pakistan through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman, Pakistan, on August 26.

Traffic on the Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan has “increased significantly” since the fall of Kabul, border officials tell CNN. 

“About 18,000 people are now crossing the border on a daily basis,” Hameed Ullah, the head of the Coronavirus Health team at the Chaman border told CNN.

In the past, no more than 12,000 people typically crossed the border in a single day, the official told CNN. 

Abdullah Khan, a resident of a Chaman town, told CNN that he often visits the Pakistan-Afghan border, he said there is a “situation of tension at the Chaman border” at the moment and “thousands of people” are coming to Pakistan side of the border. 

The border crossing is “over occupied” right now with people fleeing Afghanistan, he said.

A threat from ISIS-K is hampering evacuation efforts. Here's what you need to know about the terror group.

A grave and specific ISIS-K terror threat is hanging over the frantic endgame of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, with time fast running out to rescue Americans and the fate of fleeing Afghans looking darker by the hour.

In an alarming sign of the deteriorating security environment, US diplomats in Kabul early Thursday local time suddenly warned American citizens to “immediately” leave several gates into the airport, citing security threats.

The warning came hours after a US defense official had told CNN that officials were alarmed by a “very specific threat stream” about the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, which planned to attack crowds outside the airfield.

Who are ISIS-K?

ISIS-Khorasan is a branch of the terror group that first emerged in Syria and Iraq. While the affiliates share an ideology and tactics, the depth of their relationship with regards to organization and command and control has never been entirely established.

US intelligence officials previously told CNN the ISIS-K membership includes “a small number of veteran jihadists from Syria and other foreign terrorist fighters,” saying that the US had identified 10 to 15 of their top operatives in Afghanistan. The group’s name comes from its terminology for the area that includes Afghanistan and Pakistan: “Khorasan.” 

The US Defense Department Inspector-General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) said in a report covering the months April to June of this year that “ISIS-Khorasan exploited the political instability and rise in violence during the quarter by attacking minority sectarian targets and infrastructure to spread fear and highlight the Afghan government’s inability to provide adequate security.”

ISIS-K has formed cells in Kabul which have carried out a number of devastating suicide attacks in and beyond the Afghan capital since 2016. 

The group has built up a presence in eastern Afghanistan in recent years, especially in the provinces of Nangahar and Kunar. Last August, the group attacked the main prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangahar, in an effort to free dozens of their supporters who had been captured by the Afghan army and police.

Read more about the group here.

Biden will meet with governors on temporary housing for Afghan evacuees

President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Afghanistan from the White House in Washington, DC, on August 24.

President Joe Biden will be holding a virtual meeting Thursday with a bipartisan group of governors “who have raised their hands to temporarily house or resettle vulnerable Afghans.”

The meeting is set for 3 p.m. ET.

What we know: With less than a week to go before the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, US evacuation efforts are ramping up in Afghanistan.

The US military increased flights out of Kabul yesterday to one every 39 minutes, the Pentagon says.

UK Prime Minister says time British troops have left in Afghanistan is "quite short"

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen during a visit to Northwood Headquarters, the British Armed Forces Permanent Joint Headquarters, in Eastbury, England, on August 26.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said British forces have evacuated the “overwhelming majority” of people it deems eligible from Afghanistan.

In remarks in a pool interview on Thursday, Johnson noted the time UK troops have left in the country is “quite short.”

His comments come after British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said intelligence of an ISIS-K terror attack at Kabul airport is now “much firmer.”

“There is now very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack, and hence why the Foreign Office advice was changed last night, that people should not come to Kabul Airport, they should move to a safe place and await further instructions,” he told BBC Radio Thursday morning.

Johnson said the UK would “keep going” with evacuations for “as long as we can” in Afghanistan as the Aug. 31 deadline looms and some European nations end their operations on Thursday.

The prime minister noted that the UK military has “in the last 10 days or so” airlifted 15,000 people to the UK from Afghanistan. The UK owes these people a debt and “there’s a huge amount of work now going on to make sure that we find homes by ways of integrating those people into this country,” he said.

“As I stand up and talk to you now, in the time we have left, which may be, as I’m sure everybody can appreciate, quite short, we’ll do everything we can to get everybody else, but I want to stress that this is just the first phase,” Johnson explained.

“So, even beyond the, the US deadline of the 31st of this month, we hope to continue to be able to say to people, well you can you can come out and one of the key things that we’re saying to the to the Taliban to the government, the new authorities in in Kabul is to engage with the West – to unlock those funds – safe passage is for those who want to come out is obviously the number one condition,” he added.

Long line of buses still waiting outside Kabul airport

As the international evacuation mission winds down, there are still long queues of buses waiting outside the perimeter of Hamid Karzai International Airport.

A journalist in Kabul working with CNN filmed a long line of buses at a standstill alongside the perimeter wall and heavy traffic congestion at the roundabout that leads to the airport.

The journalist said he saw only one bus getting inside the airport compound. 

President Biden is so far sticking to his Tuesday deadline for the final exit from a 20-year war in Afghanistan, but in an alarming sign of the deteriorating security environment, US diplomats in Kabul early Thursday local time suddenly warned American citizens to “immediately” leave several gates into the airport, citing security threats.

The warning came hours after a US defense official had told CNN that officials were alarmed by a “very specific threat stream” about the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, which planned to attack crowds outside the airfield.

Inside, thousands of troops are braving testing conditions and intense heat to fill cargo aircraft with US citizens and Afghans who helped American troops and officials and fear gruesome punishment by the Taliban.

The question now is how long the Pentagon will give the evacuation operation before it transitions to a mission to extract thousands of troops and materiel, which could take several days and curtail the departures of noncombatants.

 See what it looks like:

a6413cfc-d8d0-4190-983b-fa103e8124c0.mp4
00:43 - Source: cnn

Danish evacuation operation at Kabul airport ends

A Danish coalition service member holds up a sign with a Danish flag to identify families for evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 21.

The Danish evacuation operation at Kabul’s airport ended following the departure of the Danish Hercules aircraft’s final flight on Wednesday evening. 

The Danish Ministry of Defense told CNN Thursday that the flight to Islamabad took off close to 6 p.m. Copenhagen time on Wednesday. 

The Ministry of Defense added that this was the final flight of the evacuation operation following a government decision made based on advice from the Danish Chief of Defense.

Since Aug. 15, Denmark has evacuated more than 1,000 people out of Kabul, with the group mainly comprising interpreters, Danish embassy staff, Danish citizens, people living in Denmark and people from other European countries.

CORRECTION: This post has been updated to reflect that the flight took off at 6 p.m. Copenhagen time instead of 6 p.m. Kabul time

Latest Afghanistan evacuation numbers from the White House show slowing pace

People board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III as they evacuate from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 24.

The latest 24-hour period evacuation numbers from the White House show a slowing pace as the airlift effort enters what is expected to be its final days.

From 3 a.m. ET Wednesday to 3 a.m. ET Thursday, 13,400 people were evacuated from Afghanistan, with approximately 5,100 via US military flights and 8,300 via coalition flights.

That brings the total to more than 95,700 people evacuated since Aug. 14 and over 101,300 since the end of July.

Those numbers have slowed since the last 24-hour period, when approximately 19,000 people were evacuated, 11,200 via US military flights. The record was the 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday, when approximately 21,000 were evacuated, 12,700 via US military flights.  

A source told CNN there was another 36 hours until the end of the operation to evacuate. The Department of Defense, however, has since said evacuations will continue longer, if needed.

UPDATE: This post has been updated with comments from the Department of Defense.

What’s the difference between refugees, asylum seekers and SIVs?

People evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan wait to board a bus that will take from Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia, to a refugee processing center, on August 25.

As thousands of Afghan citizens flee the country ahead of the United States’ self-imposed August 31 deadline to wrap up its operation in the country, the world is braced for what will become a huge refugee crisis. 

There is often confusion over the terms used when talking about refugees, asylum seekers and people who have a special status to live in certain countries under specific schemes, such as the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program in the US. 

Legally, anyone who has crossed an international border with a well-founded fear of persecution is a refugee, and as such is protected under international law. The United Nations’ 1951 Refugee convention describes such a person as “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”

Of the 82.4 million currently displaced persons, 26.4 million are specifically refugees – in other words, not displaced internally within their own country or fleeing because of political unrest, natural disaster, food shortages. 

A good example of how refugees differ is the current crisis in Venezuela. 3.9 million Venezuelans are currently displaced overseas, but most of them had fled because of political unrest and the resultant issues like food shortages. Only 171,000 of these people are currently refugees. 

An asylum seeker, on the other hand, is a refugee who has arrived in the country they wish to live and has formally applied for asylum via that country’s formal channels. The country may ultimately decide that the individual does not meet the UN’s definition of refugee or that they should have applied for asylum in a different country. In this instance, the person might be sent to another country or in some instances back to the place from where they fled. Hence, these people in a state of limbo are asylum seekers. 

Finally, there are those who have special immigrant status, such as the SIV program in the United States. These people have applied for a special status which has been granted by the country they are seeking to enter. In the case of the US, many of these are people who worked with US and allied forces during the war, so therefore fear retribution from the Taliban. 

The problem many of these people are currently facing in Afghanistan is that the Taliban are preventing them from entering the airport; Afghan citizens leaving the country is bad PR for the militant group, who are claiming to have become more moderate.

With thanks to Steve Peers and Daniel Sohege

Intelligence of ISIS-K attack now "much firmer," says UK armed forces minister

Paratroopers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conduct security as they continue to facilitate evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 25.

Intelligence of an ISIS-K terror attack at Kabul airport is now “much firmer,” British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Thursday morning. 

“There is now very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack, and hence why the Foreign Office advice was changed last night, that people should not come to Kabul Airport, they should move to a safe place and await further instructions,” he told BBC Radio.

“I can only say that the threat is severe. We will do our best to protect those who are there. There is every chance that as further reporting comes in, we may be able to change the advice and process people anew, but there is no guarantee of that.

“The window of opportunity to evacuate people is closing,” Heappey said, as the August 31 deadline to withdraw looms closer. 

Just under 2,000 interpreters and other UK government staff were evacuated in the last 24 hours under the UK government’s Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) over eight Royal Air Force flights he said, with another 11 flights scheduled for Thursday. 

This brings the total number of British evacuations in the last week to 12,279, he added.

Belgium ends evacuation efforts amid "imminent suicide bomb attack" threat

People disembark from a chartered Air Belgium plane carrying evacuees from Afghanistan, at a military airport in Melsbroek, Belgium, on Monday, August 23.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Thursday that a credible suicide bomb threat was the instigator behind his decision to end Belgium’s Red Kite evacuation operations from Kabul Airport on Wednesday. 

“The situation deteriorated significantly, we received information from American sources and from other countries that there was an imminent suicide bomb attack in the area of the airport,” De Croo said during a news conference.

“This information prompted us to engage in a great deal of contact with our allies and ultimately cease all flights from Kabul to Islamabad,” he added. 

The last Belgian evacuees who remained on the tarmac at Kabul airport were evacuated last night, landing at 9:30 p.m. Islamabad time.

The Belgian teams also evacuated several foreign nationals. This brings the Belgian evacuation total to 23 flights and 1,400 passengers.

The Netherlands meanwhile expects its last evacuation flight out of Afghanistan will leave on Thursday, the government said in a letter to parliament.

“The Netherlands has been informed by the United States that it has to depart today and will most likely perform the last flights later today,” it said.

“This is a painful moment because it means that despite all the great efforts of the past period, people who are eligible for evacuation to the Netherlands will be left behind.”

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also now advised against travel to Kabul airport, following suit with the US and UK due to an ongoing terror threat from ISIS-K. 

And Denmark said its evacuation ended following the departure of the Danish Hercules aircraft’s final flight on Wednesday evening. 

The Danish Ministry of Defense told CNN Thursday that the flight to Islamabad took off close to 6 p.m. Kabul time on Wednesday evening. 

French and Tajik Presidents reaffirm commitment to regional security near Afghanistan 

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, is pictured with President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, in November 2019.

French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, on Wednesday, in which the leaders discussed their common approach with regards to the Afghan crisis, addressing the impending influx of refugees and the consequences of the Taliban’s rise to power.

“[Macron] celebrated the ongoing dialogue between France and Tajikistan, and he expressed his desire to develop new collaborations, notably on the border front,” the Elysée Palace said in a statement Thursday. 

Tajikistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan to the latter’s northeast, is approaching the 30-year anniversary of its independence on September 9. The two presidents also agreed to continue their exchanges moving forward in order to ensure regional “stability and security,” according to the Elysée.

Per Macron’s invitation via Wednesday’s call, Rahmon will visit the Elysée on October 13.

Turkey might stay on to provide technical support at Kabul airport, Turkish state media reports

A Turkish soldier distributes water to Turkish nationals waiting to evacuate the airport in Kabul on August 18.

According to a top Turkish official, Turkey could stay on and help provide technical support to the Taliban in operating Hamid Karzai International Airport after its troops withdraw, Turkish state-run media Anadolu reported Thursday.

Turkish troops already began withdrawing Wednesday. They had been operating in Afghanistan under UN, NATO and bilateral agreements since 2002 to provide the “peace, welfare and stability of the Afghan people,” according to a statement from Turkey’s National Defense Ministry Wednesday.

“After our troops withdraw, we could continue this operational task at the airport there. If it is agreed in the terms and an agreement is reached in this direction, we will continue to provide this service there,” Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said, according to Anadolu. But talks between Turkey and the Taliban are ongoing and Kalin questions whether the Taliban can establish “the security structure” at the airport.

Taliban say talks are ongoing with resistance group in Panjshir

Afghan resistance movement forces take part in military training in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, on August 24.

Taliban officials have said talks are ongoing with representatives from the northern Panjshir Valley, the last area of Afghanistan yet to fall to the militant group.

Sporadic fighting between the Taliban and the Panjshir-based National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Masoud, has continued for a week. Taliban officials told CNN both sides had agreed to stop offensive actions. 

Representatives from both sides are negotiating in Charika, the capital of the neighboring Parwan province.

The Taliban officials said one sticking point was the insistence of the National Resistance Front that a national holiday in Afghanistan honoring Masoud’s father – Ahmad Shah Masoud – continue to be recognized.

Some background: Masoud led resistance against the Taliban when they were in power between 1996 and 2001. Sept. 9 has been a national holiday in his honor, marking the day he was killed in a suicide bombing in 2001.

The Panjshir Valley, some 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) north of Kabul, is the epicenter of Afghan guerrilla warfare. It has long withstood foreign occupation, and never fell to the Taliban during the militant group’s rule between 1996 and 2001.

With 36 hours left to evacuate and gates now closed, an estimated 150 Americans need to get to Kabul airport – source

People being evacuated from Afghanistan queue to board an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 24.

There are an estimated 150 American citizens left in Afghanistan whom the United States need to get to the airport, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The source said the estimate is the number known to need assistance to reach the airport as of 8 a.m. local time on Thursday morning. 

They added that since midnight local time, 200 had been evacuated to the base and flown out. This brings the total number of US citizens evacuated since August 14 to 4,700, the source added.

The statement suggests the operational total of Americans needing to be evacuated is smaller than the broader totals provided by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. 

Blinken said on Wednesday afternoon that there were 500 Americans identified who needed help to get to the airport. Blinken added there were another 1,000 who might need help, but whose citizenship or desire to leave were uncertain. Given the rate of evacuation overnight, the 150 operational total may be a revised update on Blinken’s total of 500, and may even include some of the 1,000 uncertain cases.

The source added there was another 36 hours until the end of the operation to evacuate, and the focus was now on local Afghan staff who worked for the US Embassy. “American citizens are still trickling in but their priority has shifted to local staff,” the source said. 

The source estimated there were about 1,800 local US Embassy Afghan staff still to get to the airport and “36 hours to do it.” They had already recovered 1,300 local staff and evacuated them, they said.

Access to the base is increasingly difficult, the source said. The source added that all the gates on the base were now closed, apart from the one that Afghan security forces were unofficially using to bring in their evacuees.

The main access point at the airport for many holders of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), the Abbey Gate, was “fully” closed earlier on Thursday, possibly due to one of many IED threats, they added. “They were kind of able to pull people through yesterday but I think it’s totally cleared out and closed now. They’ve had multiple IED threats the whole time.”

The source added that gate closures mean there are “tons of special interest groups circling the airport in buses trying to figure out how to get in. Very little that can be done for them even though they’d love to help. So literally no one else can get in,” unless they are escorted. “Not even approved SIVs.”

The source expressed frustration at how Washington DC connections were forcing the operation to prioritize certain individuals. “These boutique special interest Congressional/WH groups that keep showing up are distracting from the core mission of getting those people out who we, the US, gave our word to.”

The source said the evacuation operation – although already winding down – would end Friday. The source added the British were departing on Thursday night. CNN has contacted the UK Ministry of Defence for comment.

Flight thought to be carrying another US congressional delegation is turned away from Kabul airport – source

A private jet thought to be carrying another US congressional delegation has been denied permission to land at Kabul airport, a source familiar with the situation told CNN on Thursday. 

The Gulfstream jet was visible over Turkmenistan on open-source air traffic websites, but its destination and final route were unclear. It was last seen over Baku, Azerbaijan, and departed from Athens, Greece.

It remains unclear which representative was on the jet.

On Tuesday two congressmen, Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Peter Meijer, a Republican from Michigan, made a clandestine trip to Kabul “to conduct oversight on the mission to evacuate Americans and our allies.”

The decision was criticized by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said: “We don’t want anyone to think this was a good idea. There’s a real concern about members being in the region.”

Taliban removes security from ex-Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, source says

Karzai (center left) meets with senior Haqqani group leader Anas Haqqani (center right) and Abdullah Abdullah (second right) in Kabul on August 18. 

The Taliban has taken away security from former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, an Afghan official who leads the High Council for National Reconciliation, a source told CNN.

On Monday, the Taliban confiscated weapons from Karzai’s armed protection team and took away his vehicles, prompting the former president to move in with Abdullah, the source said. On Wednesday, the Taliban later also searched Abdullah’s home and took his security and vehicles. 

Karzai and Abdullah are effectively under house arrest in Kabul without their bodyguards and at the mercy of the Taliban, according to the source. 

Last week, a Taliban spokesman told CNN that the group wanted to form an inclusive government. It has since held talks with former president Karzai and former chief executive Abdullah, both of whom stayed in Kabul when the Taliban took over the capital more than a week ago.

Abdullah previously said he was hopeful for the Taliban forming an inclusive government, the source tells CNN. Abdullah is less optimistic than he was a week ago.

"Disturbing reports": Former UN employees send letter to Secretary-General on Afghan security concerns

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, on August 13.

Former UN employees have sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlining the risks and dangers UN-affiliated personnel face in Afghanistan, according to a former employee familiar with the letter. 

In the letter, the former employees note they’re “gravely concerned about the safety of our colleagues and friends who are at risk,” especially after receiving “disturbing reports of the Taliban raiding homes, beating people for affiliation with international organizations and requesting meetings for ‘letters of forgiveness.’”

The letter cites UN protocol, which outlines the organization’s duty and responsibility to individuals it recruits and their families should they be endangered because of their work for the UN. The letter then directly notes that “locally-recruited personnel and their family members are indeed endangered as a direct consequence of their employment by organizations of the United Nations common system.”

“They should not be asked to sacrifice their lives and safety in order to accomplish this. It would be much safer for them to continue their work from outside of the country,” the letter concludes.

There are an estimated 3,000 UN staff in Afghanistan. Most are local Afghans, and about 10% are women.

The UN has previously stated about 100 international staff has left the country to work elsewhere. 

Guterres held a virtual town hall Wednesday morning including UN staff in Afghanistan to address ongoing safety concerns, according to a statement by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

“We are continuing to look at possible relocations of international staff, also, obviously, of national staff that are at risk. But I think it bears saying again that the UN presence in Afghanistan is … the UN is present in Afghanistan and will remain in Afghanistan.” Dujarric said during the discussion.

Terror threats hamper Afghanistan evacuation as Biden's deadline looms

In this photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, families walk towards their flight during ongoing evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 24.

A grave and specific ISIS terror threat is hanging over the frantic endgame of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, with time fast running out to rescue up to 1,500 Americans and the fate of fleeing Afghans looking darker by the hour.

President Joe Biden is so far sticking to his Tuesday deadline for the final exit from a 20-year war in Afghanistan, after an initially chaotic drawdown that has since evolved into a mammoth and daring airlift of more than 82,000 people out of Kabul.

But in an alarming sign of the deteriorating security environment, US diplomats in Kabul early Thursday local time suddenly warned American citizens to “immediately” leave several gates into the airport, citing security threats.

The warning came hours after a US defense official had told CNN that officials were alarmed by a “very specific threat stream” about the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, which planned to attack crowds outside the airfield.

Inside, thousands of troops are braving testing conditions and intense heat to fill cargo aircraft with US citizens and Afghans who helped American troops and officials and fear gruesome punishment by the Taliban.

The question now is how long the Pentagon will give the evacuation operation before it transitions to a mission to extract thousands of troops and materiel, which could take several days and curtail the departures of noncombatants.

President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Afghanistan in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Aug. 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. Biden discussed the ongoing evacuations in Afghanistan, saying the U.S. has evacuated over 70,000 people from the country.

Related article Analysis: Terror threats hamper Afghanistan evacuation as Biden's deadline looms

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All students and staff at Afghanistan’s only girls’ boarding school flee to Rwanda
Pelosi and other lawmakers criticize unauthorized trip to Afghanistan

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Approximately 1,500 people who may be Americans are left in Afghanistan, Blinken says
Taliban tell Afghan women to stay home from work because soldiers are ‘not trained’ to respect them
Why Biden will end the final mission in Afghanistan in just 7 days
All students and staff at Afghanistan’s only girls’ boarding school flee to Rwanda
Pelosi and other lawmakers criticize unauthorized trip to Afghanistan