Reporting by Lisa Lambert, Idrees Ali, David Brunnstrom, and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Will Dunham and John Stonestreet
WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) – There were at least two explosions near Kabul’s airport amid a huge evacuation effort from Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Thursday, with civilians and U.S. service members among the casualties.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport’s Abbey Gate and the other close to the nearby Baron Hotel. Two U.S. officials said at least one of the explosions appeared to be from a suicide bombing.
“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,” Kirby said on twitter. “We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.”
A Taliban official said at least 13 people were killed in the blast, including children, and many Taliban guards were wounded.
