Boris Johnson says Kabul bombings underscore urgency of getting Brits out
Aug 28, 2021
London [UK], August 28 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the suicide attacks in Kabul, which killed two Brits and a child of a British national, showed how urgent it was for evacuations to conclude.
"The loss of two British nationals and the child of a British citizen in the Kabul airport bombing (yesterday) underlines the urgency of concluding the Operation PITTING (evacuation)," he said.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has informed that two UK citizens and the child of another UK citizen were killed in the terrorist attack in Kabul.
"I was deeply saddened to learn that two British nationals and the child of another British national were killed by yesterday's terror attack, with two more injured," Raab said in a statement released by the Foreign Office.
"Yesterday's despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out. We are offering consular support to their families. We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need, and we will never be cowed by terrorists," he added.
A day after an explosion rocked Kabul, Pentagon on Friday said that approximately 5,400 individuals at the airport are awaiting flights out of Afghanistan.
"There are still approx 5,400 individuals at the airport awaiting flights out of Afghanistan. We have the ability to include evacuees on the US military airlift out of Afghanistan... ISIS will not deter us from accomplishing this mission," said US Army Major General William "Hank" Taylor during a briefing.
Major General Taylor clarified that there was only one explosion at the Abbey gate at Hamid Karzai International airport on Thursday. Earlier, the Pentagon had said there was a second explosion outside the Baron hotel in its initial statements.
The death toll from yesterday's blast in Kabul has surged to more than 90 people killed, CNN reported. The report said that more than 150 people were wounded by the blast.
