Afghan crisis: New urgency to airlift after blast in Kabul kills over 100

Despite repeated warnings of more attacks, crowds throng airport to flee

Evacuation flights from Afghanistan resumed with new urgency on Friday, a day after at least one suicide bombing targeted the thousands of people desperately fleeing a Taliban takeover and killed more than 100. Large crowds milled around Kabul airport despite repeated warnings of more terrorist attacks, a day after 13 US service members died in the attack, just ahead of next week’s end to America’s longest war.
 
The window for civilian evacuations has all but closed for thousands of Afghans as many countries have either ended or are about to end airlift operations on security concerns. American President Joe Biden vowed to complete the US evacuation mission in Afghanistan, promising those responsible would “pay.” “We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said at the White House.

 
The UN Security Council, currently being presided over by India, said members “condemned in the strongest terms the deplorable attacks”.
 

A Taliban official said 75 Afghans were killed and about 150 wounded in the airport violence, while the Associated Press quoted unnamed officials as saying 169 Afghans died. A final count may take time amid confusion, with many bodies dismembered or not yet identified. Also, there remained confusion around the number of explosions, with Pentagon late in the day saying only one blast hit Kabul. It said that despite earlier reports to the contrary, there was only one explosion that rocked the perimeter of Kabul’s airport on Thursday, not two.

 
As the call to prayer echoed on Friday through Kabul along with the roar of departing planes, the anxious crowds outside the airport appeared as large as ever despite the risks.
 
The US said more than 100,000 people have been safely evacuated from Kabul, but thousands more are struggling to leave in one of history's largest airlifts. The White House said on Friday morning that 8,500 evacuees were flown out aboard US military aircraft in the previous 24 hours, along with about 4,000 people on coalition flights. That is about the same total as the day before the attacks.

 
Taliban wants ‘good ties’ with India
 
The Taliban wants good ties with all countries, including India, a top official of the militant group has said as he vowed not to allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country. “We desire good ties with all countries, including India, which is an important part of the region. Our desire is that India devise its policy as per the interests of Afghan people,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told Pakistan’s ARY News channel