Another Attack on Kabul Airport Expected Within Next 36 Hours, Says US President Joe Biden

Another Attack on Kabul Airport Expected Within Next 36 Hours, Says US President Joe Biden

  • Kabul airport could face another attack in the next 36 hours, according to US President Joe Biden
  • On Thursday last week, a suicide bombing occurred near the airport, killing 170 people, among them 13 US soldiers
  • Biden has maintained that his deadline for withdrawing American troops from troubled Afghanistan is August 31

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US President Joe Biden has warned of a possible attack on Kabul airport in a short period of at least 36 hours.

US troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by August 31, bringing to an end Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
US President Joe Biden addresses the public on the ongoing evacuation mission in Afghanistan. Photos: Getty Images.
Source: UGC

All American citizens in the besieged city, especially near the airport, have since been told to move to safer zones, according to Al-Jazeera.

More attacks expected

The announcement comes even as the US continues its evacuation mission for its troops, diplomats and officials, given that Biden's deadline for exiting the country is August 31.

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On Thursday, a suicide bombing near Kabul airport killed 170 people, among them 13 US soldiers, with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-K) claiming responsibility.

After the attack, the US retaliated with a drone strike on the eastern part of Afghanistan the following day, ending the lives of two high-profile IS-K officials.

"This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay," read part of the statement from Biden.

The airstrike was condemned by the Taliban, insisting that the US should have informed them beforehand.

Mission coming to an end

From 5,800, the US has already withdrawn 1,800 of its troops from the embattled airport with the White House expressing concerns that the next few days were the most critical. At the same time, there are over 1,000 civilians looking to be evacuated from Kabul.

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The undoing in the mission is that the Taliban militants have erected several layers of checkpoints within and around the airport to stop Afghans from accessing the evacuation services.

Records indicate that over 110,000 evacuees, both Afghans and foreign nationals, have been airlifted from Kabul airport since the mission started two weeks ago.

The US troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by Tuesday, August 31, concluding Operation Freedom's Sentinel and NATO's Resolute Support Mission.

On Sunday, 15 August, Taliban militants took over Afghanistan, throwing the country into political unrest.

Taliban hold first press conference since take-over, reveal plans for Afghan women

Previously, Briefly News reported that after seizing power in Afghanistan just days ago, the Taliban has declared an amnesty in the country and vowed to uphold women’s rights on Tuesday.

This comes after the insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days as opposing US-trained security forces were swept away, per a DispatchLIVE report.

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In a landmark news conference on Tuesday in front of local and international journalists in the country's capital, Kabul, the militant group offered many assurances to Afghan citizens and the world.

According to the Associated Press, the Taliban insisted there would not be any revenge against anyone who worked for or fought with the United States government, which is yet to complete a withdrawal of troops following a 20-year war.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
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Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.

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Reeshni Chetty Reeshni Chetty is a senior current affairs reporter. The Damelin journalism and media studies graduate was top of her class with 16 distinctions and she boasts experience in radio, print and digital media. When Reeshni is not rushing to bring you the most important and breaking news in current affairs, she's raising awareness around mental health. Reeshni has a passion for breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues.