CNBC 26 August 2021 - by Amanda Macias
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Thursday confirmed an explosion at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, where Western forces are rushing to evacuate as many people as possible.
It was unclear whether there were any casualties, according to the Pentagon's top spokesman, John Kirby.
The latest revelation comes hours after the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan issued a security alert on its website urging Americans to avoid traveling to Kabul airport and warned some at certain gates to "leave immediately."
"U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately," the alert said.
In the last 24 hours, Western forces evacuated 13,400 people out of Kabul on 91 military cargo aircraft flights. Since the mass evacuations began on Aug. 14, approximately 95,700 people have been airlifted out of Afghanistan. About 101,300 people have been evacuated since the end of July, including about 4,500 U.S. citizens and their families.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday reiterated to leaders of the G-7, NATO, United Nations and European Union that the United States will withdraw its military from Afghanistan by the end of the month.
The president warned that staying longer in Afghanistan carries serious risks for foreign troops and civilians. Biden said that ISIS-K, an Afghanistan-based affiliate of the terror group, presents a growing threat to the airport.
"Every day we're on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and allied forces and innocent civilians," he said.
