The US is vowing to continue its Afghanistan evacuation mission despite ISIS suicide bombers killing 12 troops and 48 other civilians on Thursday, and despite there being ‘active’ threats of further attacks.
Two suicide attacks at Kabul airport on Thursday killed 11 Marines and one Navy medic. The first bomber was wearing a vest and was being searched by troops when he detonated. The second was a car bomb Attack, Reuters reports.
President Biden has still not commented on the deaths, the first American lives lost since his disastrous evacuation effort started on August 14, but on Thursday General Kenneth F. McKenzie, the commander on the ground, spoke to reporters.
He said the dangerous evacuation effort would continue despite the growing threat from ISIS.
‘We expect these attacks to continue,’ General McKenzie said, claiming troops would either tell Americans to stay at home or get to the airport if it is safe.
1,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan but McKenzie says not all of them want to leave. It’s unclear how, but he said the airport evacuation will continue.
He warned that there was a ‘very real’ threat of an additional attack, and that they are particularly worried about car bombs.
The President has not commented publicly on the deaths and he is not scheduled to make any kind of statement or speech on Thursday. The deafening silence has angered Republicans who say the blood of those killed is on his hands.
An official death toll has not yet been given but according to those on the ground including a New York Times reporter who counted 40 dead bodies. The Wall Street Journal said 60 Afghans had died. Among them were 11 Marines and one Navy medic.
Norway, Poland, Holland and Canada have all stopped evacuating citizens.
General McKenzie said the US would keep evacuating its citizens despite Thursday’s attack and despite an ‘imminent’ threat of more attacks.
He said the US would go after ISIS to retaliate if they can find the right groups. The threat of a suicide-born vehicle threat is ‘very high.’
