The Pentagon has confirmed that a number of U.S. service members were killed and wounded in a complex terrorist attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan's capital Kabul today. At least 13 Afghans have also died as a result of the attack and scores more were wounded. You can get up to speed on what else is known so far about this incident in The War Zone's initial reporting here.
A statement from Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby did not say specifically how many Americans had died or were wounded, or otherwise provide any details about who those individuals were. The Wall Street Journal had already reported that four U.S. Marines were killed and three more were wounded, but this remains unconfirmed.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for today's attack, but there are reports that U.S. officials believe it was the work of ISIS' franchise in Afghanistan. Also referred to as ISIS Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, this group treats the United States and its allies partners, as well as the Taliban, as enemies.
There are also unconfirmed reports that more attacks may be imminent, as well.
What this might mean for the U.S. military's timeline for withdrawing entirely from Afghanistan, something that is presently set to be complete by Aug. 31, remains to be seen. At present, there is no indication that the U.S. government has halted evacuation operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport. At the same time, various other foreign countries have closed out their missions entirely in Kabul already, or are preparing to do so, ahead of the American deadline.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com