Death toll from the twin terrorist attacks at Kabul International Airport and the Baron Hotel today put at 60 civilians and 13 US soldiers has certainly surpassed these numbers.
An updated report by Iran’s Press TV quoting a senior Afghan health official said 90 Afghan civilians were killed and over 100 others wounded.
The death toll is likely to rise as more civilians succumb to their injuries.
The first attack—believed to be a suicide bombing—occurred near the Abbey Gate to the airport at 6 pm local time.
People were thrown into the nearby canal carrying raw sewage. There was blood and limbs everywhere.
A second bomb exploded at the nearby Baron Hotel where British officials were screening Afghans for flights to Britain.
The terrorist outfit, ISIS-Khorassan—took responsibility for both blasts.
While US President Joe Biden vowed to retaliate against the Kabul bombings, his generals were left pleading with the Taliban to provide protection.
Taliban fighters deployed at checkpoints outside the airport were also injured in the blast.
“We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command,” said Biden in his speech, referring to the attackers.
He also confirmed that the bombings were carried out by ISKP, ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan whose leader in Afghanistan, Abu Omar al-Kharassani was executed by the Taliban last week.
He was held in Kabul’s Pol-e Charki Prison by the former US-puppet regime of Ashraf Ghani who fled the country as the Taliban entered Kabul in a peaceful takeover of power on August 15.
The Afghan civilians that were killed or injured were clutching documents hoping to be allowed entry to the airport that is under US military control until August 31.
Afghans trying to flee the country have been badly mistreated by US military personnel.
Prior to today’s explosions, 20 Afghans had died, mostly shot dead by the Americans.
The chaos outside the airport is the direct result of the shabby manner in which the Americans have treated their Afghan collaborators who are trying to leave the country.
They were promised evacuation even though the Taliban have repeatedly announced a general amnesty to all and sundry, including members of the Afghan armed forces and former government officials.
The chaotic scenes at Kabul airport since August 16 were the direct result of rumours circulated in Kabul that anybody who could get to the airport would be taken to the US.
A sea of humanity flooded the airport, hoping to be airlifted.
On August 16, seven Afghans clinging to the fuselage of a US military aircraft as it took off, plunged to their death.
Even those that were airlifted were packed like sardines into cargo planes.
One C-17 plane carried 823 Afghans—men, women and children-setting a world record for the number of people carried in a plane.
The Afghans trying to flee the country should consider what is worse: to be ruled by the Taliban or rescued and evacuated by the Americans?
Not a single Afghan has been killed by the Taliban since they took power, notwithstanding the vicious incessant Western propaganda against them.