Four Service Members Die in Kabul, Afghanistan
Four US Marines are among those killed in the attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021, the Wall Street Journal reports.
John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, confirmed in a statement that “several US service members were killed in today’s complex attack on the Kabul airport. Several others are receiving treatment for injuries. We also know that several Afghans were victims of this heinous attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and injured. ”He did not release several dead.
The Wall Street Journal reported that in addition to the four killed, three Marines were injured.
The deaths come the day after the U.S. Embassy warned stranded Americans not to go to Hamid Karzai International Airport due to threats from ISIS. the Wall Street Journal reported the day before the attacks swept through the city.
“American citizens who are at Abbey Gate, East Gate or North Gate must now leave immediately,” the alert read. According to the magazine. Officials have been warning that members of the Afghan branch of the extremist group Islamic State were trying to mount an attack on military personnel or civilians at the airport.
The report has not been officially confirmed by officials.
This is what you need to know:
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US ambassador informed staff about the deaths
GettyVolunteers and medical personnel carry an injured man on a stretcher for care after two powerful explosions.
The newspaper reported that the report of four deaths came through the US ambassador in Kabul, who “told staff there that four US marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three were injured.”
The Wall Street Journal attributed the report to an unidentified US official, not the ambassador himself.
Officials confirmed that an explosion occurred at the airport’s ‘Abbey Gate’
GettyMedical and hospital staff remove an injured man from a car for treatment after two blasts, in which at least five were killed and a dozen injured, outside Kabul airport on August 26, 2021.
Kirby, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, tweeted: “We can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a series of civilian and American casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. ”
However, at the time he wrote the tweet, it was unclear whether by referring to “victims” he was referring to deaths, injuries, or both.