On Monday, the eve of the deadline for US troops to leave Afghanistan after 20 years of war, rocket fire appeared to target Kabul's international airport, striking a nearby suburb. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State organisation, and there were no early reports of deaths.
The rockets had little effect on the regular stream of C-17 cargo planes from the US military taking off and arriving at the airfield. The IS offshoot in Afghanistan carried out a horrific suicide attack at one of the airport gates on Thursday, killing at least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members.
The extremist group is significantly more radical than the Taliban, who took control in Afghanistan earlier this month after quickly conquering the majority of the country. The two factions have clashed in the past, and the Taliban have stated that they will not host terrorist organisations.
Following the bombing, the Taliban reinforced their security perimeter around the airstrip, clearing enormous numbers of Afghans anxious to exit the country in the final days of the US-led airlift. Taliban fighters are currently stationed near the main runway along a barrier.
A mob rapidly formed around the remnants of a four-door vehicle used by the attackers in the capital's Chahr-e-Shaheed area. Six handmade rocket tubes looked to be placed in place of back seats of the car. IS and other terrorist groups frequently embed such tubes in cars to move them unnoticed.
“I was inside the house with my children and other family members when there were some blasts,” a nearby resident, Jaiuddin Khan, said. “We dashed into the house compound and collapsed.”
Witnesses reported some of the rockets landed in the Salim Karwan district across town, striking residential apartment structures. The airport is about 3 kilometers (less than 2 miles) away from that neighbourhood. There were no reports of injuries at the time.
According to Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesperson for the US military's Central Command, five rockets were fired at the airport. According to Urban, a defensive weapon known as C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System) targeted the rockets in a swirling shower of ammunition. The equipment produces a characteristic drill-like sound that reverberated throughout the city throughout the attack.
The militants allegedly fired six missiles, according to an IS statement posted by the group's Amaq media arm.
Officials informed President Joe Biden on "the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport," presumably referring to the vehicle-based rocket launch, according to the White House.
“The president has been told that activities at HKIA are continuing without interruption, and has reiterated his directive that commanders prioritise doing whatever is required to safeguard our personnel on the ground,” the statement read, using an acronym for Kabul's airport.
Planes proceeded to land and taxi across to the northern military side of the airport after the rocket firing. At one point on Monday morning, planes were taking off every 20 minutes or so. One C-17 arriving in the afternoon fired flares as it approached, a precaution against heat-seeking missiles and a hint that the US military is still concerned about the presence of surface-to-air missiles in the nation.
On Monday, smoke could be seen coming from several fires outside the airport's perimeter. Although US forces routinely destroy items and equipment they won't carry with them, it wasn't apparent what was on fire.
For foreigners and Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover, the airport was one of the few options. However, in recent days, coalition nations have suspended their evacuations, leaving the US troops mostly alone at the facility, along with some partner Afghan soldiers.
According to the White House, the US military evacuated 1,200 people in the last 24 hours on 26 C-17 planes, while two coalition planes flew out 50 more. According to the report, US forces had evacuated around 122,300 civilians since the end of July.
In a message on Twitter, Ross Wilson, the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Kabul who is currently operating out of the airport, emphasised that the evacuations were still going on.
Wilson wrote, “This is a high-risk operation.” “Allegations that Embassy officials or US Forces have turned away or refused American citizens access to HKIA are false.” He didn't go into detail.
The US State Department issued a statement on Sunday that was signed by approximately 100 countries, as well as NATO and the European Union, stating that the Taliban had given them "assurances" that anyone with travel credentials would be free to leave.
The Taliban have stated that once the US withdrawal is concluded on Tuesday and they take control of the airport, they will allow normal travel. Given the continued security concerns, it is unclear how the militants will administer the airport and which commercial planes will resume flying in.
The United States is preparing to finish its longest war with the Taliban regaining control with the evacuation of the last of its forces. Many Afghans dread the Taliban returning to power, and there have been allegations of random executions and other abuses in Taliban-controlled areas.
The Taliban have kept their promise not to attack Western forces if they leave by Tuesday, but IS is still a threat. During the Taliban's takeover, the group, known as the Khorasan Province after an ancient name for the province, saw some of its members liberated.
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