On Thursday, two suicide bombers reportedly attacked outside the airport. But the Pentagon believes the attack on the Baron Hotel was a wrong report.
US defense leaders met with the press at the Pentagon on Friday afternoon.
They say they don’t think there was a second suicide bombing outside the Baron Hotel anyway.
They believe that there was only one attack – one suicide bomber, who hit the Abe Gate around 17:48.
On Thursday, two explosions, by two different suicide bombers, were reported against these two targets, which are not far from each other.
But the US military now believes there is only one attack. They say it is not clear how the story of the two bombings – and two suicide bombers – arose.
– It was an explosive vest that was detonated directly near the gate or just outside it. This was followed by a shootout from a hostile position just north of the gate. There was shooting, one of them wearing an explosive vest, says U.S. Army Officer William Taylor.
He cannot answer exactly where the shooting came from and whether he was killed or taken.
The United States still fears more attacks.
- At least 170 dead. The most recent fatality was 170 Afghans plus 13 US troops. CBS News correspondent Ahmed Mukhtar wrote on Twitter that there are at least 32 men, three women and three children among the dead, but 132 remain unidentified. Nearly 200 should be injured. Magda Gad, a foreign correspondent for Swedish Expressen, also wrote that there were 170 dead, according to two doctors she spoke to at a hospital in Kabul.
- Two British citizens and one child: On Friday afternoon, British authorities confirmed the killing of two British citizens and a child of another British citizen.
There are still 5,000 people inside the airport waiting for evacuation. Americans continue to evacuate them, although several countries, such as Norway, have stopped them.
More than 5,000 US soldiers are still at the airport. Until August 31, there will be no daily updates from the Pentagon on the number of soldiers remaining.
We will be able to take people abroad until the last minute, says Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
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