2021 Kabul airport attack | |
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Part of the Islamic State–Taliban conflict, the 2021 Kabul airlift and the war on terror | |
Location | Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan |
Coordinates | 34°33′31″N69°13′13″E / 34.55861°N 69.22028°E |
Date | 26 August 2021 17:50 (UTC+04:30) |
Target | Afghan civilians, foreign troops, and Taliban members |
Attack type | Suicide bombing [1] [2] |
Deaths | 182 (including the perpetrator) [3] |
Injured | 150+ [4] [5] |
Perpetrator | Islamic State – Khorasan Province [6] [7] |
Assailant | Abdul Rahman al-Logari [8] |
Defenders | Taliban [9] United States United Kingdom [10] |
A suicide bombing took place at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 26 August 2021, at 17:50 local time (13:20 UTC), [11] during the evacuation from Afghanistan. [1] [6] [12] [13] At least 182 people were killed, including 169 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the United States military, [3] [14] [4] the first American military casualties in the War in Afghanistan since February 2020. [15] The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS–K) claimed responsibility for the attack. [16]
On 27 August, the United States launched an unmanned airstrike which the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said was against three suspected ISIS–K members in Nangarhar Province. [17] On 29 August, the US conducted a second drone strike in Kabul, targeting a vehicle which they suspected was carrying ISIS–K members, but actually carried an Afghan aid worker. Ten Afghan civilians were killed in the drone strike, including seven children. [18]
In 2023, the (unnamed) leader of the ISIS–K cell that organized the attack was believed to have been killed by Taliban security forces. [19]
After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on 15 August 2021, Hamid Karzai International Airport was the only way out of Afghanistan. [20] Security concerns grew after hundreds of members of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province escaped from jails at Bagram and Pul-e-Charkhi. [21] [22] On 16 August, the Pentagon warned the U.S. Congress about the increased threat of a terrorist attack by ISIS following the fall of Kabul the previous day. [23] [24] U.S. President Joe Biden received multiple reports of a possible attack during the week preceding the attack, [25] and warned on 22 August in remarks from the White House that the longer U.S. troops remained in the country, the greater the threat that ISIS would pose to American personnel and civilians near the airport. [26]
Hours before the attack, U.S. diplomats in Kabul warned American citizens to leave the airport because of security threats. [27] United Kingdom Armed Forces Minister James Heappey had also warned of a highly credible threat of attack at the airport by ISIS militants. [28] [29] The embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia also warned about high-security threats involving the airport. [30]
Amid the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, a crowd of local and foreign civilians fled to the airport to be evacuated. [5] At Abbey Gate, one of the gates into the airport, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt. [2] After the explosion, gunfire erupted and all gates to the airport were closed. [31] U.S. officials said that ISIS–K gunmen opened fire into the crowd after the explosion and U.S. troops returned fire. [2] According to several reporters, eyewitnesses attributed at least some of the gunfire into the crowd and consequent deaths after the explosion to panic by U.S. troops. [32] [33] [34] The Pentagon acknowledged the possibility of U.S. responsibility for some deaths in a news conference on 28 August. [35]
The explosion occurred by a canal where U.S. forces were checking evacuees' passports, visas and other documentation before allowing them inside the airport. An eyewitness stated that the explosion felt as if someone had pulled the ground from under his feet, and saw other evacuees thrown into the air by the force of the blast. [36] Initial reports erroneously stated that a second explosion had taken place at the nearby Baron Hotel. [37] [38] The following day, it was confirmed that there had been no second explosion. [39]
ISIS–K, who claimed responsibility for the attack, named the bomber as Abdul Rahman al-Logari. [6] [8] The Taliban had fought against IS–KP previously, [40] and were helping the U.S. forces to maintain security at the airport. [41]
At least 182 people were killed during the attack, including 169 Afghan civilians, and 13 U.S. service members supporting the evacuation operation. Two of the killed civilians were British dual-nationals and one was the child of a British national. [3] [42] It was initially reported that 28 Taliban fighters had also been killed in the attack, but this was later denied by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. [43] The dead Americans were identified as eleven Marines, one soldier from 8th Psychological Operations Group, and one Navy corpsman. [5] [14] [44] [45] The American deaths were the first U.S. service deaths in Afghanistan since February 2020 and were the largest single loss of life of U.S. military personnel since the 2011 Afghanistan Boeing Chinook shootdown. [46]
At least 150 more people were injured, [4] including 18 U.S. military personnel and a number of Taliban members. [47]
Through a tweet by their spokesperson, the Taliban condemned the attack, saying "evil circles will be strictly stopped". [48] The Taliban later announced that they would take every possible measure to capture ISIS–K leader, Shahab al-Muhajir. [49] Abdullah Abdullah, former Chief Executive of Afghanistan and current National Coalition of Afghanistan leader, condemned the attack. [50] Some civilians claimed to reporters that the attack had strengthened their resolve to leave the country for fear of more attacks. [51]
U.S. President Biden made a public address following the attack. He honored the U.S. service members who were killed, calling them "heroes" and saying they lost their lives "in the service of liberty", and also expressed deep sorrow for the Afghan victims. Biden said to those who wished harm upon the U.S. that "we will hunt you down and make you pay". [52] The United Kingdom government also said that they will continue Operation Pitting, the evacuation from Afghanistan. [53]
Many nations expressed condemnation for the Kabul airport attack and solidarity with the victims and troops conducting evacuations at the airport. [note 1] The attack was also condemned by the European Commission [75] and the United Nations. [76] German Chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled a planned trip to Israel, instead staying in Germany to monitor the evacuation of German troops. [77] Biden also rescheduled a meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett because of the attack. [52] [78] The United Kingdom said civilian evacuations would continue in spite of the attack. [53]
During the 2024 State of the Union Address the father of a Kareem Nikoui, who was killed by the bombing at the 2021 Kabul airport attack, was arrested within the United States Capitol for "heckling" during the speech. [79]
On 27 August, the United States launched an airstrike against what U.S. military said was a vehicle carrying three ISIS–K members in Nangarhar Province. Two were killed, who were described by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby as "high-profile ISIS targets" and "planners and facilitators"; the third occupant of the vehicle was injured. A U.S. defence official said that one of the strike targets was "associated with potential future attacks at the airport", and that the U.S. had located him with "sufficient knowledge" to strike. [80] CENTCOM identified him on 23 September as Kabir Aidi (alias "Mustafa"), and stated that he was involved in planning attacks and making magnetic IEDs. It also stated that he was directly involved with the orchestrators of the bombing and was reportedly helping distribute explosives and suicide vests to target people during the evacuation. The second person killed in the strike was identified as an ISIS collaborator who had been involved in the 2020 Kabul University attack, but his identity was not known. [81]
On 29 August, a drone strike was carried out by the United States, targeting a vehicle a few kilometers from Kabul Airport. According to relatives, 10 nearby civilians were killed, including seven children. [82] [83] Some of those killed had worked for international organisations and held visas allowing them U.S. entry. [82] [83] U.S. officials said there were a number of explosions following the drone strike, implying explosives at the scene, however victims relatives rejected that any subsequent explosions had occurred and stated the driver of the car did not have any connection with the group. [84] A preliminary investigation conducted into the 29 August drone strike by the American military said the targeted vehicle had visited what was believed to be a safe house for ISIS–K by intelligence analysts. It however found no concrete proof that there were explosives inside, though stating it was "possible to probable", and a commander had given the order after seeing no civilians on live feed, only for them to appear a few seconds later. [85]
An investigation conducted by The New York Times however found that the targeted driver, identified as Zemari Ahmadi, was an aid worker for Nutrition and Education International, and that his movements that raised the military's suspicion, was him picking up and later dropping off his office colleagues. It also reported that the packages which were believed to be explosives might have simply been water containers, and there was no evidence of secondary explosions. The newspaper stated that the actual number of dead was 10 people, including 7 children. [86] [87]
Another investigation by The Washington Post reached similar conclusions, with two experts stating that there may have been a smaller secondary explosion due to fuel vapors, which would have appeared more powerful than it actually was, causing the military to believe the vehicle contained explosives. A former US Air force operator claimed the damage was consistent with the car containing explosives. [88]
On 17 September, the head of USCENTCOM Kenneth McKenzie confirmed it was unlikely any ISIS–K members were killed in the 29 August drone strike. The Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley confirmed all of those killed in the strike were innocent civilians. The investigation by the United States military also concluded that a supposed secondary explosion they believed to be evidence of explosives, might have been due to a propane or gas tank. [18] [89] A CNN report revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency had warned the military of civilians in the area after they fired the missile and only seconds before it struck. [90]
After the drone strike on 27 August, U.S. President Joe Biden said they had pursued those responsible for the attack on the airport as he had previously said they would, and they would continue to do so. [91]
The Council on American–Islamic Relations, Code Pink and Amnesty International condemned the 29 August drone strike, calling it a continuation of American policy of killing civilians without accountability. [92] [93] [94] Amnesty further called for "a credible and transparent investigation" into the strike, acknowledgment by the United States for its actions and reparations for the deceased, and adherence to international law by the United States. [95] U.S. House Representative Ilhan Omar also condemned the strike on Twitter. [94]
Mark Milley defended the strike on 1 September as "righteous" after doubts were raised about it, while claiming one of the persons killed in it was an ISIS–K member and they had followed due procedure. He admitted that others were killed in the strike. [96] White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on 2 September acknowledged that civilians had been killed in the strike and stated that an investigation was ongoing. [97] After the publishing of journalistic reports casting doubt on the military's account, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on 13 September defended the strike, saying it prevented an attack on the airport. [98]
After the U.S. military confirmed that the drone strike had killed innocent civilians, House Representative Ruben Gallego termed the admission "devastating" and called on the Department of Defense to brief the House of Representatives on it as soon as they could. [18] A relative of the victim meanwhile stated that an apology was not enough and that the United States must punish the person responsible for the strike, offer compensation, and evacuate some members of the family out of Afghanistan. [99]
In April 2024, CNN reported on newly disclosed video footage from a Marine's GoPro camera. This footage revealed extensive gunfire following the explosion, that CNN reported was contrary to Pentagon accounts of minimal gunfire. Eyewitnesses, including U.S. military personnel and an Afghan doctor, corroborated that the gunfire was extensive and resulted in multiple injuries, a claim supported by the video showing 11 instances of gunfire over four minutes. CNN reported that, the Pentagon upheld its findings from 2021 and 2023 investigations, which attributed all casualties to the suicide bombing and maintained that no civilians were hit by coalition gunfire. [100]
Kabul International Airport is located in the northern part of Kabul, Afghanistan. It is one of the country's main international airports, capable of housing over a hundred military and civilian aircraft. It is currently operated by UAE-based GAAC Holding and Afghanistan's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
The Embassy of the United States of America in Kabul was the official diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its chancery on Great Massoud Road in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of the Afghan capital of Kabul was built at a cost of nearly $800 million.
The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Afghanistan.
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province is a regional branch of the Salafi jihadist group Islamic State (IS) active in South-Central Asia, primarily Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISIS–K seeks to destabilize and replace current governments within the historic Khorasan region with the goal of establishing a caliphate across South and Central Asia, governed under a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law, which they plan to expand beyond the region.
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Afghanistan.
Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.
Events in the year 2018 in Afghanistan.
Events from the year 2019 in Afghanistan.
This article summarizes the history of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).
The Islamic State–Taliban conflict is an ongoing insurgency waged by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP) against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The conflict initially began when both operated as rival insurgent groups in Nangarhar; since the formation of the Taliban's state in 2021, IS-KP members have enacted a campaign of terrorism targeting both civilians and assassinating Taliban members using hit-and-run tactics. The group have also caused incidents and attacks across the border in Pakistan.
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Operation Allies Refuge was an evacuation effort carried out by the United States during the 2021 Taliban offensive. It took place in the final weeks of the War in Afghanistan and saw the airlifting of certain at-risk Afghan civilians, employees of the American embassy in Kabul, and other prospective applicants for the U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). American personnel also helped NATO and other regional allies in their respective evacuation efforts from Hamid Karzai International Airport in the capital city of Kabul. The operation was concurrent with the broader American military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the multinational evacuation of eligible foreigners and vulnerable Afghans.
On 15 August 2021, Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. It was the final action of the War in Afghanistan, and marked a total victory for the Taliban. This led to the overthrowing of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under President Ashraf Ghani and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.
Large-scale evacuations of foreign citizens and some vulnerable Afghan citizens took place amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces at the end of the 2001–2021 war in Afghanistan. The Taliban took control of Kabul and declared victory on 15 August 2021, and the NATO-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed. With the Taliban controlling the whole city except Hamid Karzai International Airport, hostilities ceased and the Taliban assisted in the evacuation effort by providing security and screening evacuees during the Biden administration.
On 8 October 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bombing occurred at the Shia Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz. Over 50 people were killed, and another 100 injured, but according to an estimate by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, more than 100 people were killed and wounded.
On 29 August 2021, an unmanned drone attack by the United States killed 10 civilians in Kabul, Afghanistan, including 7 children. The U.S. initially said that the vehicle targeted in the strike had visited an Islamic State safe house and that there had been several secondary explosions, implying there had been explosives at the scene. Eyewitnesses and later independent investigations disproved this statement. Three weeks later, the U.S. confirmed that the target of the strike was a Toyota Corolla carrying aid workers and that only civilians had been killed in the strike. No U.S. personnel faced disciplinary action for the attack, which prompted a group of 50 U.S. legislators to call for a review of military practices.
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And an analysis of video feeds showed that what the military may have seen was Mr. Ahmadi and a colleague loading canisters of water into his trunk to bring home to his family.
"I said we would go after the group responsible for the attack on our troops and innocent civilians in Kabul, and we have," Mr. Biden said in his statement.