US warns terror threat to Kabul airport real in evacuation’s final hours
The Pentagon warned on Monday of a “real” and “specific” threat of new attacks at Kabul airport, just hours ahead of a US deadline to complete its frenzied withdrawal from Afghanistan that has been marred by ISIS violence. President Joe Biden has set a deadline of Tuesday to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan, drawing to a close his nation’s longest war, which began in retaliation for the September 11 attacks.
The return of the hardline Islamist Taliban movement, which was toppled in 2001 but took back power a fortnight ago, triggered a massive exodus of terrified people aboard US-led evacuation flights.
Those flights, which have taken more than 122,000 people out of Kabul airport, will officially end on Tuesday when the last of the thousands of American troops pull out. US forces are now focused chiefly on flying themselves and American diplomats out safely.
The regional ISIS-K group, rivals of the Taliban, pose the biggest threat to the withdrawal, after carrying out a suicide bombing outside the airport late last week that claimed more than 100 lives, including those of 13 US troops.
On Monday, they claimed to have fired six rockets at the airport. A Taliban official said the attack was intercepted by the airport’s missile defence systems.
Even as the US troop presence in Afghanistan drew to an end, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that it was “a particularly dangerous time right now”. The threat stream is still real, it’s still active, and in many cases it’s still specific,” he said on Monday.
Source: IOL
In other news – Unathi Nkayi pens an emotional massage as she remembers late iconic singer Lebo Mathosa
Unathi Nkayi takes to social media to open up on how much she misses late iconic singer, Lebo Mathosa.
In photos shared, the radio presenter is seen rocking a shirt made in honour of Lebo, with her photo printed in front of the top. Learn more
