Twin bomb blasts rock Kabul airport

 Two powerful bombs exploded near Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday with civilians continuing to flee from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

The first blast occurred around 18:00 local time (13:30 GMT), near the Barron hotel, which is bordering the airport. This hotel was used by British officials to deal with Afghans wishing to evacuate to the United Kingdom. Gunfire followed the blast, and then a second blast occurred near the Abbey Gate which is one of the main entrances to the airport. The second blast occurred near the sewer where Afghans were queueing, in the vicinity of the gate, and some victims were thrown into the water by the blast. 

 Its reported by offcials from the US that there was an attacker who had put on a suicide vest.  It resulted in the troops being sent so as to offer securing around Abbey Gate area. From the statement issued by Marine Corps General Kenneth, gunfire was started on the crowd by the ISIS gunmen.

The number of casualties has been steadily rising by the hour, the Pentagon stated that 13 American soldiers have been killed, with 15 injured. A senior health official in Kabul confirmed that at least 90 people were killed, including 28 Taliban members and 150 injured.  Those with injuries suffered from multiple shattered limbs, fractures, and gunshot wounds. Photos posted on social media showed that the injured were being transported in wheelbarrows. A large group of people gathered in the area, waiting to board the evacuation plane.

Responsibility for the twin blasts is being claimed by an ISIS organization in Afghanistan, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), which grew out of disgruntled Taliban members who hold harder-line views, a US official, who asked not to be named, told The Associated Press.

According to Agence France-Presse, ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack on a website, and the Arabic-language telegram channel monitored by Al Jazeera confirmed the name of the attacker. However, Adam Schiff, chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee advised against drawing conclusions about the origin of the attack.

"Although it is too early to draw conclusions about those responsible, ISISK has a clear motive to undermine our efforts to evacuate tens of thousands of people." He stated in a statement on Thursday.

This attack is expected to complicate efforts to evacuate thousands of people from Afghanistan.

Canada, Germany, and The Netherlands announced that they could no longer provide planes for evacuation before the blasts occurred. Turkey declared that its army, which has provided airport security in Kabul for six years, is withdrawing its troops.