- US President Joe Biden’s warning of suspicious rocket explosions may have exacerbated tensions among thousands of Afghans.
- In just two weeks after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, about 114,000 people fled through an evacuation operation led by the United States.
- According to reports, Western countries claim that thousands of people may be left behind, which has aroused criticism from the United States and Britain.
After US President Joe Biden warned that with the massive airlift of thousands of Afghans into the final days, another terrorist attack in the capital increased nervousness. A suspected rocket explosion occurred in Kabul on Sunday.
Since the Taliban returned to power two weeks ago, about 114,000 people have fled the country through an evacuation operation led by the United States. Although Western powers said that thousands of people may be left behind, the operation is gradually ending.
On Thursday, when a suicide bomber from the local branch of the Organization of Islamic State aimed at the US military to prevent large numbers of people from entering the airport, the already chaotic and desperate operation became bloody.
This is why it is reported that more terrorist attacks may occur:
More than 100 people were killed in the attack, including 13 American service personnel, who slowed down the airlift before Biden’s evacuation deadline ended on Tuesday.
The Pentagon said on Saturday that retaliatory drone strikes killed two “senior” Islamic State jihadists in eastern Afghanistan, but Biden warned that the organization would launch more attacks.
The President of the United States said:
The situation on the ground is still extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high. Our commander told me that an attack is very likely within the next 24 to 36 hours.
The US Embassy in Kabul later issued a warning that there were credible threats in certain areas of the airport, including the boarding gate.
Late Sunday afternoon, there was a loud noise from the north of the city. A security official who was overthrown the government said it was a rocket hitting a house.
Further details are not immediately available.
In recent years, the Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter of the Islamic State has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in these countries.
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They massacred civilians in mosques, public squares, schools and even hospitals.
Although both the Islamic State and the Taliban are hardline Sunni Islamists, they are mortal enemies—everyone claim to be the true standard-bearer of jihad.
Incredible cooperation
The IS attack forced the U.S. military and the Taliban to cooperate to ensure the safety of the airport, which was unthinkable two weeks ago.
On Saturday, Taliban fighters escorted a steady stream of Afghans from the bus to the main passenger terminal and handed them over to the U.S. military for evacuation.
The military can be seen on the civilian side of the airport grounds and outbuildings, while the U.S. Marine Corps peeped at them from the roof of the passenger terminal.
After 20 years of war, the enemies were only 30 meters apart in each other’s field of vision.
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Also taking into account the U.S. military is the Taliban’s “Badri” special forces in the U.S. Humvee as a gift to the now conquered Afghan army.
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said on Twitter that the organization’s fighter jets had entered parts of the military side of the airport, but the Pentagon emphasized that the U.S. military retained control of the boarding gate and air transport.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. military has already begun to retreat – but did not say how many are left.
Biden went to an air force base in Delaware on Sunday, where the remains of soldiers killed in Kabul were transferred to attend the ceremony and meet with the families of the victims.
‘Heartbreaking’
Most of the Western allies who helped airlift have ended their flights, and some people feel desperate for not being able to keep everyone in danger.
The commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, General Nick Carter, told the BBC that “we failed to bring everyone out”, which was “heartbreaking”.
A White House official said that 2,900 people were evacuated in the 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, a significant decrease from earlier this week.
Two Afghan athletes were able to leave last weekend and stay in France for a week, and then a “major global operation” took them to Japan to participate in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
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On Saturday night, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli received a warm welcome in the athletes’ village.
“Everyone in the room shed a lot of tears,” said Craig Spencer, a spokesperson for the International Paralympic Committee.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that negotiations with the Taliban have begun to “protect and repatriate” Afghan nationals in danger after Tuesday.
He said France and Britain on Monday will urge the United Nations to work hard to establish a “safe zone” in Kabul to protect humanitarian operations.
The United Nations said it is preparing for the “worst case scenario” of an increase of as many as 500,000 refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.
At the airport, thousands of people surrounded the periphery, hoping to be allowed to pass and be allowed to board the plane.
The Taliban have now blocked the road to the facility, allowing only sanctioned buses to pass.
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