Firing after two blasts at Kabul airport kills US citizens

Ground Report | New Delhi: Firing after two blasts at Kabul; Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Americans were killed in a blast at Kabul's international airport on Thursday evening.

Firing after two blasts at Kabul

He tweeted that, "We can confirm that the blast at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that killed many Americans and civilians. We can also confirm that There has been another explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from the AB Gate. We will keep providing further information."

ALSO READ: Kabul airport blast: 13 killed, including children

We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.

— Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021

French Ambassador David Martinon has urged people to move away from the airport gate as there is a danger of another explosion. He tweeted, "To our Afghan friends - if you are close to the airport gate, move away immediately and hide behind something, another blast is possible."

The bombings came at a time when US and British officials were urging their citizens not to turn to the airport because of the threat of terrorist bombings. US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and is monitoring the situation after the bombings.

ALSO READ: Explosion outside Kabul airport, casualties unclear

Emergency meeting

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency meeting after the blasts.

However, Reuters news agency quoted Taliban officials as saying that several people, including Taliban bodyguards, had been injured in the blast and that 13 people had been killed so far, including children.

NATO Secretary-General Hans Stoltenberg has condemned the terrorist attack outside Kabul Airport in a Twitter message, saying his organization's priority is to keep as many people as possible safe in the shortest possible time.

Alicia Cairns, a member of Britain's Foreign Affairs and National Security Strategy Committees, said a bomb blast near the Baron Hotel had injured several people. The Baron Hotel is the site where British authorities are examining British and Afghan nationals eligible for evacuation from Afghanistan.

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