Kabul international airport bombing leaves 60 dead,
Afghan officials say; Australia suspends evacuation mission
By US correspondent Greg Jennett, defence correspondent Andrew Greene, Paul Johnson and Max Walden
Posted 6h ago
6 hours ago
, updated 9m ago
![Image](https://media.gab.com/system/preview_cards/images/015/921/732/original/3302432895394fb4.jpeg)
Afghan officials say at least 60 people have been killed in suicide bombings outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA).
Key points:
US troops and Afghan civilians are among the dead from the bombings
Thousands of people have been trying to flee Afghanistan since the Taliban took power
Western nations had warned of an imminent attack on Kabul's international airport
The Pentagon has confirmed at least 12 US troops were killed when two suicide bombers attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to HKIA after the Taliban once again seized power in the nation.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via the Telegram messaging channel of its Amaq News Agency.
"The threat from ISIS is extremely real … we believe it is their desire to continue those attacks," US Central Command chief Kenneth Franklin McKenzie Jr said.
He added that the Pentagon was determined to continue its mission of evacuating people.
"ISIS will not deter us from completing the mission, I can assure you of that," he said.