The Taliban takeover of the country last weekend shocked Western nations.
Many were feared dead in twin explosions near Kabul's airport on Thursday, according to Pentagon, which said civilians and US service members were among the casualties. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport's Abbey Gate and the other close to nearby Baron Hotel.
US President Joe Biden pledged on Thursday to hunt down the perpetrators of the suicide bombings in Kabul that killed 12 American troops. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said in an address from the White House during which he praised the slain US troops as "heroes."
According to a Reuters report, a Taliban official pegged the casualties at at least 13, including children, in what is being suspected to be a suicide attack. It has been labelled a "complex attack" by the US military, according to AFP. Pentagon said several US troops were killed in the attack, and more were wounded.
The western allies led by US had earlier in the day urged Afghans to leave the area due to a threat by Islamic State. They said they had intelligence that suicide bombers tied to the Afghan arm of Islamic State group -- the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) -- were threatening to attack the airport ahead of US's August 31 deadline to finalize the evacuation. The group is known to be at odds with the Taliban.
The explosion comes amid evacuations carried out by several countries. President Joe Biden has said US intends to complete its pullout from Afghanistan by August 31. Over 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have fled Afghanistan via the US-led airlift since Taliban took control of the country on August 15.
Here are the highlights on Afghanistan-Taliban crisis:
Australian troops left Kabul airport before suicide attack
No Australian troops were killed in the suicide bomb attack in Kabul airport and all its military personnel left Afghanistan before the strike, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said on Friday.
Islamic State struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and 12 U.S. troops, and throwing into mayhem the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee.
Dutton did not commit or rule out sending Australian troops back to Afghanistan if there were any requests from the United States, after President Joe Biden said he had asked the Pentagon to develop plans to strike back at the perpetrators.
"We will see what the Americans have to say in coming days. The focus at the moment is on making sure that the Americans, the Brits and those that remain in Kabul can be uplifted safely. That is the only focus at the moment," Dutton told reporters in Canberra.
Joe Biden reaffirms August 31 troop pullout deadline from Afghanistan
President Joe Biden on Thursday reaffirmed August 31 as the deadline for US troops to leave Afghanistan, in the wake of a deadly attack on Kabul airport.
Biden, who earlier vowed to continue the evacuation of civilians from Kabul, said there remained an "opportunity for the next several days, between now and the 31st, to be able to get them out."
"Knowing the threat, knowing that we may very well have another attack, the military has concluded that that's what we should do. I think they are right."
No sign of "collusion" between Taliban and Islamic State in attack: Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden said Thursday he has seen no evidence that the Taliban colluded with Islamic State militants in carrying out the deadly attacks in Kabul.
"There is no evidence thus far that I've been given as a consequence by any of the commanders in the field that there has been collusion between the Taliban and ISIS in carrying out what happened today," Biden said in an address at the White House.
Kabul blasts: US Defence Secretary expresses condolence over death of US Marines
US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III on Thursday expressed condolences over the death of US Marines in the deadly blast in Kabul.
"I express my deepest condolences to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and wounded in Kabul today. We will not be dissuaded from the task at hand," the Defence Secretary said.
In an official statement, Austin said, "on behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I express my deepest condolences to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and wounded in Kabul today.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemns Kabul attacks with 'utmost firmness'
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday evening "with the utmost firmness the terrorist attacks" near Kabul airport.
In a statement, he expressed "his condolences to the families of the American and Afghan victims, his support for the wounded, and salute to the heroism of those who are on the ground to carry out the evacuation operations", before promising that "France will see them through to the end".
Dozens of civilians, 12 US troops killed in bloodbath at Kabul airport
At least a dozen U.S. troops were killed and several others wounded in Thursday's suicide bombings at Kabul airport, U.S. sources told Reuters, in what the Pentagon said was a "complex attack" during its evacuation mission from Afghanistan.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed multiple U.S. fatalities but did not give details. The U.S. servicemembers were among those killed when at least two blasts tore through crowds thronging the airport gates.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that at least a dozen U.S. personnel were killed. Officials said that number could change and was expected to increase. Several other U.S. troops were wounded, the officials said.
Afghanistan Live Update: India Condemns Kabul Blasts
Afghanistan Live Update: At Least 4 US Marines Killed In Kabul Blast: Report
Four US Marines were killed and three wounded in Thursday's explosions at Kabul airport, US sources told Reuters, in what the Pentagon said was a "complex attack" during its evacuation mission from Afghanistan. In a statement, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed multiple US fatalities but did not give details. The US service members were among those killed when at least two blasts tore through crowds thronging the airport gates. A US official, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters four US personnel were killed and three wounded. Other U.S. sources gave the same figures.
Afghanistan Live Update: UK To Continue Evacuations Despite Blast, Says Boris Johnson
Britain will continue the operation to evacuate nationals and Afghans from Kabul despite Thursday's "barbaric" bomb attack, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, according to AFP. "We've been ready for it," he said of the attack. "We're going to continue with that operation, we're now coming towards the very end of it in any event."
"We're going to work flat out... getting people through as fast as they can still, and we're going to keep going up until the last moment," said the prime minister, shortly after chairing a meeting of the emergency COBR committee. He said that members of the US military had "very sadly" lost their lives in the attacks, as well as "many Afghan casualties".
Afghanistan Live Update: Germany's Evacuation Operation Over, Says Minister
Germany has pulled out all its soldiers from Afghanistan with its last evacuation flight from Kabul, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Thursday, according to AFP. "All soldiers, members of the foreign ministry and federal police who have led this mission to a safe end for us on the ground have been flown out of Kabul," said the minister, adding that the military evacuation mission has therefore now ended.
Afghanistan Update: "A Number" Of US Troops Killed In Kabul Attack: Pentagon
Several US troops were killed in the bomb attack at Kabul airport Thursday, and more were wounded, the Pentagon said in a statement, reported AFP. "We can confirm that a number of US service members were killed in today's complex attack on Kabul airport," said spokesman John Kirby. "A number of others are being treated for wounds," he said, calling it a "heinous attack."
Afghanistan Live Update: Kabul Twin Blast Death Count "Between 13 And 20": Taliban Spokesman
The death count from two blasts Thursday in crowds outside Kabul's airport could be as high as 20, a spokesman for the Taliban told AFP. "Our initial information shows between 13 and 20 killed and 52 wounded," chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Afghanistan Live Update: UK Says No Staff Or Military Hurt In Kabul Blasts
Britain's defence ministry said none of its military or government staff in Kabul were amongst the casualties from explosions near the city's airport earlier on Thursday, reported Reuters. "There have been no reported UK military or UK Government casualties following the incidents in Kabul," the Ministry of Defence said. "UK forces are working closely with our partners to provide security and medical assistance."
France Seeks To Evacuate Hundreds More From Kabul: Emmanuel Macron
France is still seeking to evacuate hundreds more people from Afghanistan ahead of a looming deadline, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, warning of an "extremely risky" situation in the wake of blasts around Kabul airport, reported AFP.
"We will do everything we can" to bring to France these Afghan citizens and dual nationals who had been in its embassy and are currently outside the perimeter of the airport in 20 buses, Macron said on a visit to Ireland, also confirming that the French ambassador would leave Afghanistan and work from Paris.
Afghanistan Update: Joe Biden Briefed On Kabul Bomb Attacks: White House
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the bloody attack against Kabul's airport, the White House said Thursday, reported AFP. "The president has been briefed and he is in the Situation Room," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity. According to a Reuters report, a Taliban official has said at least 13 have died in the attacks.
Afghanistan: Children Among 13 Killed In Blast Outside Kabul Airport: Taliban Official
A suspected suicide bomb exploded outside Kabul airport on Thursday, killing at least 13 people including children, a Taliban official said, after the US and allies urged Afghans to leave the area because of a threat by Islamic State, reported Reuters. The official said many Taliban guards were wounded. A US official said US service members were among the wounded, adding he was citing an initial report and cautioning that it could change. He said there were casualties but did not know how many or of what nationality.
Afghanistan Update: Explosion Outside Kabul Airport, Casualties Unclear: Pentagon
The US military confirmed Thursday that a large explosion occurred outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan, as the US-led airlift of thousands continued inside the compound, reported AFP. "We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can," said Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby. US and allied officials have said they had intelligence that suicide bombers were threatening to attack the airport.
Afghanistan Live Update: Hungary Ends Afghan Evacuation With 540 Flown Out
Hungary said Thursday it had ended its evacuation mission from Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country, with 540 people having been airlifted out, reported AFP. The vast majority of those evacuated were Afghan nationals who had co-operated with Hungarian forces in the country. "This evacuation operation... is over," Defence Minister Tibor Benko told reporters in the capital Budapest, saying the government had successfully taken out all those it wanted to.
Afghanistan Live Update: Canada Has Ended Kabul Evacuation Efforts: Official
Canadian forces in Kabul ended their efforts to evacuate citizens and Afghans earlier on Thursday, ahead of an August 31 deadline, acting chief of the defense staff General Wayne Eyre said, reported Reuters. "We stayed in Afghanistan as long as we could...we wish we could have stayed longer and rescued everyone," Eyre told a news conference. He said Canada had evacuated around 3,700 Canadian and Afghan citizens.
Afghanistan Live Update: About 13,400 Evacuated On Wednesday: White House
Roughly 13,400 people were airlifted from Afghanistan on Wednesday, raising the total number of those evacuated by the US and coalition partners since August 14 to about 95,700, the White House said on Thursday, reported Reuters.
Afghanistan Live Update: Qatar Offering Covid Vaccines To Evacuees Yet To Transit
Qatar is offering COVID-19 vaccines to evacuees from Afghanistan who are temporarily staying in the Gulf Arab state, which has been facilitating global evacuation efforts since Taliban seized Kabul, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, reported Reuters. Qatar, which hosts the largest US military base in the region, has so far helped evacuate more than 40,000 people to Doha and will continue to facilitate international efforts in "the coming days", the ministry said in a statement. Those who do not immediately transit to other countries are being provided with a PCR test and COVID-19 vaccine, if requested, it said, adding that Doha is temporarily hosting "a large number of evacuees most of them students, families and journalists."
Afghanistan News: "Immediate Task Is Evacuation": Centre At All-Party MeetThe Centre has told 31 opposition parties that the immediate priority is the evacuation of all Indians stranded in Afghanistan, sources said on Thursday afternoon. This was during an all-party meet called by PM Modi to brief the opposition on the "critical" Afghanistan situation. Around 15,000 people have sought assistance in fleeing from Afghanistan, sources said, adding that Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had stressed that evacuation of Indians is "top priority".
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Taliban agrees to let Afghans leave after Aug 31: German envoy
Germany said Wednesday it has received assurance from a Taliban negotiator that Afghans who have the right documents will still be allowed to leave Afghanistan after the United States' withdrawal deadline on August 31, reported news agency AFP.
Germany's envoy Markus Potzel said on Twitter he had met with Taliban deputy chief negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who "assured me that Afghans with legal documents will continue to have the opportunity to travel on commercial flights after August 31".
Taliban asked Turkey for support to run Kabul airport, Turkish officials sayThe Taliban have asked Turkey for technical help to run Kabul airport after the departure of foreign forces but insist that Ankara's military also withdraw fully by the end-August deadline, two Turkish officials told Reuters.
The conditional request by the Taliban, who swept back to power in Afghanistan 20 years after they were ousted in a US invasion, leaves Ankara with a difficult decision over whether to accept a hazardous job, one official said
Mainly Muslim Turkey was part of a NATO mission in Afghanistan and still has hundreds of troops at Kabul airport.
Russia flies nationals out of Afghanistan on Putin's ordersFour Russian military planes evacuated Russian and other nationals from Kabul on Wednesday on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, as Moscow held military exercises involving its tank forces in neighbouring Tajikistan, reported news agency Reuters. The flights mark a shift in Russia's stance on Afghanistan.
The Russian defence ministry said it was evacuating more than 500 people from Afghanistan, including Russians and citizens of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
Russia's ambassador to Kabul had previously praised the Taliban's conduct and said the group, still officially designated a terrorist organisation in Russia, had made Kabul safer in the first 24 hours than it had been under the previous authorities.
But the Kremlin said on Wednesday that the situation was very tense and, citing the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan as well as the Taliban, said that the terrorist threat was "very high".
Afghans race to flee Taliban after Biden confirms airlift deadline
Afghans on Wednesday faced an increasingly desperate race to escape life under the Taliban after President Joe Biden confirmed US-led evacuations will end next week.
More than 80,000 people have been evacuated since August 14, but huge crowds remain outside Kabul airport hoping to flee the threat of reprisals and repression in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, AFP reported.
As thousands flee Afghanistan, some refugees want to go back
From trucks stuffed with carpets, bedding, clothes and even goats, around 200 Afghan refugees look beyond the horizon toward Spin Boldak in their country's south, waiting to return home from Pakistan.
Dreading another period of harsh rule after the Taliban's rapid takeover following the US troop withdrawal, thousands have been desperately trying to flee Afghanistan, with chaotic images emerging from the Kabul airport.
But some families want to repatriate to their homeland, saying the Taliban will bring stability to the war-torn nation, AFP reported.
Afghanistan's Hazara, a long-persecuted minority living in fear of TalibanSchools and rallies bombed, hospitals targeted and commuters ambushed: for years, the Hazara community has suffered some of Afghanistan's most violent assaults.
Now, with the Taliban back in control, the majority Shiite Muslim group fears the Sunni hardliners may again turn on them -- just as they did during their last regime in the 1990s.
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Putin, Xi agree to jointly combat Afghanistan 'threats'
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed their countries will step up efforts to counter "threats" emerging from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover, the Kremlin said Wednesday.
In a phone call, the two leaders "expressed their readiness to step up efforts to combat threats of terrorism and drug trafficking coming from the territory of Afghanistan," the Kremlin said in a statement.
China, Taliban Hold Their First Dialogue In KabulChina has established its first diplomatic contact with the Taliban in Kabul after the terrorist group took control of Afghanistan and the two sides now have "unimpeded and effective communication", a Chinese official said on Wednesday.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war, PTI reported.
Talks with Taliban must continue to safeguard Afghan gains: Angela Merkel
The international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect any improvements made in Afghanistan during the last two decades of NATO's deployment, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.
"Our goal must be to preserve as much as possible what we have achieved in terms of changes in Afghanistan in the last 20 years. This is something the international community must talk about with the Taliban," Merkel said, in a speech to parliament.
Afghans Continue Protest Outside UNHRC Delhi Office, Demand Refugee CardsHundreds of Afghans protested outside United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in New Delhi here on Wednesday, demanding refugee cards.
The Afghan refugees have been demonstrating in front of the UNHRC office for the past three days, ANI reported.
For Years Taliban Spokesman Operated From Shadows, Now He Is In SpotlightFor years the Taliban's top spokesman shunned the public eye, even as he amassed hundreds of thousands of followers online where he live-tweeted the insurgency.
But days after the Taliban captured Kabul following the collapse of the US-backed government, Zabihullah Mujahid presented himself to the public for the first time in a surprise press conference in the Afghan capital.
Afghanistan's Hazara, A Long-Persecuted Minority Living In Fear Of TalibanSchools and rallies bombed, hospitals targeted and commuters ambushed: for years, the Hazara community has suffered some of Afghanistan's most violent assaults.
Now, with the Taliban back in control, the majority Shiite Muslim group fears the Sunni hardliners may again turn on them -- just as they did during their last regime in the 1990s.
'Don't Panic And Get Back To Work', Taliban Order Former OfficialsAshraf Haidari, an economist at the Aghan finance ministry, was waiting anxiously at home when a call came from the Taliban: a commander ordered him back to work so he could help run the country once the "crazy foreigners" had left.
Like thousands of others working for the outgoing Western-backed administration, swept aside by the Islamist militants' lightning conquest of Afghanistan, he worried he might be the victim of reprisals.
US Scrambles To Complete Afghanistan Pullout As Threat Of Attacks RisesPresident Joe Biden said on Tuesday the United States is on pace to finish evacuations from Afghanistan by Aug. 31, but left open the chance of extending the deadline, saying reaching that goal depends on cooperation from the country's new Taliban rulers.
The Taliban said earlier on Tuesday that all foreign evacuations from the country must be completed by Aug. 31, and asked Washington to stop urging highly skilled Afghans to leave the country.
Afghans Race To Flee Taliban After Biden Confirms Airlift DeadlineAfghans on Wednesday faced an increasingly desperate race to escape life under the Taliban after President Joe Biden confirmed US-led evacuations will end next week.
More than 70,000 people have already been evacuated, but huge crowds remain outside Kabul airport hoping to flee the threat of reprisals and repression in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Lawmakers From G-7 Want India To Be Invited To Meetings On Afghan CrisisInfluential lawmakers from the G-7 countries have urged that India should be invited to attend the bloc's meetings that seeks to develop a common and united front for global security and regional stability in the aftermath of the Taliban taking control over Afghanistan.
US Senator Bob Menendez, who is also the Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his counterparts from Italy, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the European Parliament in a joint statement also said African Union should be invited to attend individual G-7 meetings when appropriate.
Legitimacy Of Future Afghan Government Depends On Taliban's Approach: Joe BidenThe G-7 countries are united on its stand on Taliban and they agreed that the legitimacy of any future government in Afghanistan depends on the armed group's approach to prevent the war-torn nation from being used as a "base for terrorism", US President Joe Biden has said.
Biden's remarks on Tuesday came hours after a virtual meeting with the leaders of the G-7 bloc, the UN, NATO, and the European Union. G-7 is an inter-governmental political forum of seven advanced nations comprising the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK.
Explained: Why Is August 31 The Date For US Pullout From Afghanistan
US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he aims to have all US forces out of Afghanistan by August 31, ending a massive two-week airlift from the country at the risk of leaving potential evacuees behind.
Taliban Issue New Warning Against Pullout Extension As Deadline Looms
The Taliban on Tuesday urged skilled Afghans not to flee the country, as the new rulers of Afghanistan warned the United States and its NATO allies they would not accept an extension to a looming evacuation deadline -- even as Western countries said time was running out. A spokesman for the hardline Islamist group told America to stop taking "Afghan experts" such as engineers and doctors out of the country.
16 Of 78 Afghanistan Evacuees, Who Reached Delhi Yesterday, Are Covid +ve
Sixteen Afghanistan evacuees out of the 78 that landed in India yesterday are coronavirus positive. As a measure of precaution, all 78 have been quarantined. All 16 returnees are said to be asymptomatic - patients who don't exhibit any symptoms for the virus.
Read Here JUST IN| 16 of 78 evacuees from Afghanistan, who arrived in Delhi on Tuesday, test positive for Covid
US "On Pace" To End Afghan Mission By August 31: Joe Biden To G7
President Joe Biden has informed G7 leaders that the US mission in Kabul is "on pace" to end by an August 31 pullout deadline, the White House said Tuesday. Biden warned that meeting the deadline would depend on Taliban cooperation regarding evacuee access to Kabul airport and has ordered contingency plans to "adjust the timeline" if necessary, said a statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki.