Witness: Several appear dead or wounded in Kabul blast

An explosion went off Thursday outside Kabuls airport where thousands of people have flocked as they try to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan Western nations had warned of a possible attack there in the waning days of a massive airliftThe Pentagon confirmed the blast with no immediate word on casualtiesAn explosion went off Thursday outside Kabuls airport where thousands of people have flocked as they try to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan Officials offered no casualty count but a witness said several people appeared to have been killed or woundedWestern nations had warned earlier in the day of a possible attack at the airport in the waning days of a massive airlift Suspicion for any attack targeting the crowds would likely fall on the Islamic State group and not the Taliban who have been deployed at the airports gates trying to control the mass of peopleThe Pentagon confirmed the blast with no immediate word on casualtiesAdam Khan an Afghan waiting outside the airport said the explosion went off in a crowd of people waiting to enter the airport Khan who said he was standing about 30 meters yards away said several people appeared to have been killed or wounded including some who lost body partsSeveral countries urged people to avoid the airport earlier in the day with one saying there was a threat of a suicide bombing But just days mdash or even hours for some nations mdash before the evacuation effort ends few appeared to heed the callOver the last week the airport has been the scene of some of the most searing images of the chaotic end of Americas longest war and the Talibans takeover as flight after flight took off carrying those who fear a return to the militants brutal ruleAlready some countries have ended their evacuations and begun to withdraw their soldiers and diplomats signaling the beginning of the end of one of historys largest airlifts The Taliban have pledged not to attack Western forces during the evacuation but insist the foreign troops must be out by Americas selfimposed deadline of Aug 31Overnight warnings emerged from Western capitals about a threat from Afghanistans Islamic State group affiliate which likely has seen its ranks boosted by the Talibans freeing of prisoners during their blitz across the countryBritish Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told the BBC early Thursday there was rdquovery very credible reporting of an imminent attackrdquo at the airport possibly within ldquohoursrdquo Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country had received information from the US and other countries about the ldquothreat of suicide attacks on the mass of peoplerdquoThe acting US ambassador to Kabul Ross Wilson said the security threat at the Kabul airport overnight was ldquoclearly regarded as credible as imminent as compellingrdquo But in an interview with ABC News he would not give details and did not say whether the threat remainedAlso ReadAmericans warned to get away from Kabul airport over Islamic State threatA while later the blast was reported US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the explosion the White House saysLate Wednesday the US Embassy warned citizens at three airport gates to leave immediately due to an unspecified security threat Australia Britain and New Zealand also advised their citizens Thursday not to go to the airport with Australias foreign minister saying there was a ldquovery high threat of a terrorist attackrdquoTaliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that any attack was imminent in the wake of those warningsEarlier Thursday the Taliban sprayed a water cannon at those gathered at one airport gate to try to drive the crowd away as someone launched tear gas canisters elsewhereNadia Sadat a 27yearold Afghan carried her 2yearold daughter with her outside the airport She and her husband who had worked with coalition forces missed a call from a number they believed was the State Department and were trying to get into the airport without any luck Her husband had pressed ahead in the crowd to try to get them insideldquoWe have to find a way to evacuate because our lives are in dangerrdquo Sadat said My husband received several threatening messages from unknown sources We have no chance except escapingrdquoGunshots later echoed in the area as Sadat waited ldquoThere is anarchy because of immense crowds she said blaming the US for the chaosAman Karimi 50 escorted his daughter and her family to the airport fearful the Taliban would target her because of her husbands work with NATOldquoThe Taliban have already begun seeking those who have worked with NATO he said ldquoThey are looking for them housebyhouse at nightrdquoMany Afghans share those fears The hardline Islamic group wrested back control of the country nearly 20 years after being ousted in a USled invasion following the 911 attacks which alQaida orchestrated while being sheltered by the groupSenior US officials said Wednesdays warning from the embassy was related to specific threats involving the Islamic State group and potential vehicle bombs The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing military operationsThe Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan grew out of disaffected Taliban members who hold an even more extreme view of Islam The Sunni extremists have carried out a series of brutal attacks mainly targeting Afghanistans Shiite Muslim minority including a 2020 assault on a maternity hospital in Kabul in which they killed women and infantsThe Taliban have fought against Islamic State militants in Afghanistan But IS fighters were likely freed from prisons along with other inmates during the Talibans rapid advance Extremists may have seized heavy weapons and equipment abandoned by Afghan troopsAmid the warnings and the pending American withdrawal Canada ended its evacuations and European nations halted or prepared to stop their own operationsldquoThe reality on the ground is the perimeter of the airport is closed The Taliban have tightened the noose Its very very difficult for anybody to get through at this pointrdquo said Canadian General Wayne Eyre the countrys acting Chief of Defense StaffLt Col Georges Eiden Luxembourgs army representative in neighboring Pakistan said that Friday would mark the official end for US allies But two Biden administration officials denied that was the caseA third official said that the US worked with its allies to coordinate each countrys departure and some nations asked for more time and were granted itThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever