Now the Pentagon says there was only one explosion in Kabul

He eventually concluded that there was a single explosion outside Kabul airport, not two as reported on Thursday.

Reports from the Pentagon itself and from Russia indicate an explosion at the hands of a suicide bomber, near the Baron Hotel where Afghans were to come to process their requests to leave the country, and at the Abbey Gate of the airport, one of the three entrances to the terminal, where a car bomb is said to have exploded.

The versions even claim that after the suicide explosion at the Baron, a man opened fire on the crowd. There are even testimonials that corroborate these scenarios.

Twin bombings

World media headlined with “twin attacks”. And the Taliban said they happened in an area watched by the Americans.

The death toll was over 100 and around 200 injured.

The deputy director of logistics of the United States staff, General Hank Taylor, told a press conference that finally they don’t think there would be a second explosion Thursday “in or near” the Hotel Baron, near the airport.

“However, there was only one suicide with a bomb, ”Taylor said, adding that they were still not sure how was this mistake made information, but it may have happened in the midst of “confusion over some dynamic events”.

No more threats

The Pentagon also insisted on Friday that the evacuation mission in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban still facing threats attacks.

“We still believe that there are credible threats … specific and credible threats,” said US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby.

The branch of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack on Kabul airport.

Evacuations

The departure operations of foreigners and Afghans resumed this Friday at the aerodrome. They are the last.

Several countries have announced that they finished their operations, including Spain, Italy, Norway or Switzerland. Britain will do it “in a few hours”.

France has suggested it could continue to deport people from Afghanistan “beyond Friday” and a French delegation met Taliban representatives in Doha for the first time since they took power in Afghanistan on August 15.

United States suppose therefore practically alone the mission stretched to conclude the largest evacuation operation in history by August 31, the date chosen by President Joe Biden to close 20 years of military presence in the country.

There are 5,400 people at the airport

Still, America thinks it can get people out “until the last moment”.

Inside the airport there are 5,400 people, the Pentagon said. In the past 24 hours, despite the attack, 12,500 people have been evacuated from a total of 89 US and international coalition flights.

London announced the deaths included two Britons.

EFE Y AFP