Kabul: At least 12 US service members killed in suicide attack, dozens wounded

In the waning days of airlift for refugees fleeing the Taliban control when two suicide bombers and gunmen opened fire on throngs of Afghans at Kabul's airport, turning a sight of desperation into one of terror. According to Afghan and American officials, at least 60 Afghans and 12 Americans were killed in the attacks.

US service members killed in Kabul attack

Americans and others are still being evacuated, according to a U.S. general in charge of the evacuation. US Central Command chief Gen. Frank McKenzie said the airport was heavily guarded, and different routes were being employed to get evacuees in. On the airfield, about 5,000 passengers were waiting for flights, said McKenzie.

United States officials have confirmed that 11 Marines and a Navy medic were among those who perished in the attack. McKenzie stated another 15 servicemen had been wounded as a result of the incident. Officials have cautioned that the death toll could rise in the future. More than 140 Afghans have been injured in the attack, an Afghan official said.

In the scorching heat, one of the bombers struck people knee-deep in a sewage canal, dumping their bodies into the foul water. Those who had planned to get on a flight away were seen dragging the wounded to ambulances in a trance, their own clothes stained with blood as they carried them.

Casualties in Kabul explosion

Italian charity Emergency, which runs hospitals in Afghanistan, claimed it had received at least 60 wounded victims of the attack, including 10 who were already dead.

Marco Puntin, the charity's manager in Afghanistan, stated, "Surgeons will be working into the night." As a result, he claimed, more beds were being added to the physiotherapy section to accommodate the injured.

Western officials had warned of a massive attack and asked people to leave the airport hours before the blasts. But Afghans seeking to leave the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the U.S. officially terminates its 20-year presence on August 31 did not take this advice in the majority of cases.

(with inputs from AP)

Picture Credit: AP