At least 13 people, including children, were killed as two explosions took place near the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Thursday evening amid a massive evacuation effort by Western countries, a Taliban official told Reuters. But, a spokesperson for the Taliban later told AFP that the toll could be as high as 20.
United States’ Department of Defense spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the first blast took place near the Abbey Gate of the airport. About 30 minutes later, he confirmed another explosion near Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. He added that the attack resulted “in a number of US and civilian casualties”.
In a statement, Kirby said that “a number of US service members” were among those killed, without providing the exact figure. According to reports, there are about 5,200 American troops providing security at the Kabul airport.
Russia’s foreign ministry has also confirmed that there was a second explosion, according to AP. The news…