As the call to prayer echoed through Kabul along with the roar of departing planes, the anguished crowd in front of the city airport was as great as ever. Dozens of Taliban members carrying heavy weapons patrolled an area about 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the facility to prevent anyone from venturing further.
Thursday’s bombing near the airport killed at least 95 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, Afghan and U.S. officials said, the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since August. of 2011.
Afghan officials warned that the toll could rise, with the morgues stretched to capacity and the possibility of relatives taking the bodies from the site. An official said as many as 115 may have died, with even more injured. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.
VIDEO: Pres. Biden’s remarks after the Kabul attack
At least ten bodies were lying on the grounds outside Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, where relatives said the funeral home could take no more. Afghans said many of the dead are not claimed because family members travel from distant provinces.
In an emotional speech Thursday night, President Joe Biden blamed the Afghan state affiliate of the Islamic State group, which is far more radical than the Taliban militants who took power less than two weeks ago in a lightning strike. the whole country.
MORE: What to Know About the Islamic State of Afghanistan Believed to Be Behind Kabul Airport Attack
“We will rescue the Americans; we will take out our Afghan allies and our mission will continue,” Biden said. But despite intense pressure to extend Tuesday’s deadline and his vote to prosecute those responsible, he cited the threat of more terrorist attacks as a reason to maintain his plan, and the Taliban have repeatedly insisted that ‘should comply.
The Taliban have regained control of Afghanistan two decades after being ousted in a U.S.-led invasion following the September 11 attacks, which were orchestrated by the presence of al-Qaeda extremists in the country. . Their return to power has terrified many Afghans, who fear they will re-impose the kind of repressive rule they did when they last controlled. As a result, thousands of people have rushed to flee the country before the US withdrawal.
The United States said more than 100,000 people have been safely evacuated from Kabul, but as many as 1,000 Americans and tens of thousands more Afghans are struggling to leave on one of the largest air bridges in history. General Frank McKenzie, head of the U.S. central command that oversaw the evacuation, said Thursday about 5,000 people were waiting for flights to the airfield.
MORE: How the US will respond to Kabul airport attacks
And more continued to arrive on Friday. The attacks led Jamshad to head to the airport in the morning with his wife and three young children, taking an invitation to a Western country he did not want to name. This was his first attempt to leave.
“After the explosion, I decided to give it a try because I’m afraid there will be more attacks now and I think I have to leave now,” said Jamshad, who like many Afghans only uses one name.
Others acknowledged that going to the airport was risky, but said they have few options.
“Believe me, I think an explosion will happen any second or minute, God is my witness, but we have many challenges in our lives, so we risk coming here and overcoming fear,” said Ahmadullah Herawi, also looking for to flee.
After the attacks, McKenzie warned that more were possible and US commanders were working with the Taliban to prevent them. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde tweeted on Friday that “we have renewed information about a high terrorist threat in the Kabul airport area,” but offered no details.
SEE: Former army guard says evacuation chaos in Afghanistan is a “mosh pit against steroids”
Scenes of chaos, despair and horror from the airport have shaken the world. Images of people standing on their knees in the sewage and families pushing documents and even young children toward American troops behind razor wire have come to symbolize both the chaos of the last days of the presence. American in the country as the Afghans have fears for their future.
But the chances of helping those hoping to escape quickly fade for many. Many U.S. allies have already completed their evacuation efforts, in part to give the United States time to complete its own operations before withdrawing 5,000 from its troops on Tuesday.
Britain said on Friday that its evacuations from Afghanistan will end in a few hours and the main British processing center for eligible Afghans has closed. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that there would be “eight or nine” evacuation flights on Friday. British troops will march in the coming days.
The Spanish government said it has put an end to its air transport. Sweden’s foreign minister said his evacuation had also ended, but not everyone left. And French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told Europe 1 radio that the country will end its operation “soon”, but may try to extend it until after Friday night.
The Taliban have said they will allow Afghans to leave by commercial flights after the withdrawal from the United States, but it is still unclear which airlines would return to a militant-controlled airport.
Turkey has been asked to operate Kabul airport, but a decision will be made “after the administration (in Afghanistan) is clear,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Taliban leaders have held talks with former Afghan leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who led the previous government’s reconciliation council, which was tasked with negotiating a deal with the Taliban.
Countless Afghans, especially those who had worked with the United States and other Western countries, are now hiding, fearing reprisals despite the group’s full offer of amnesty. The new rulers have tried to project an image of moderation in recent weeks: a stark contrast to the harsh rule they imposed from 1996 to 2001, when they forced women to wear the burqa that encompassed everything, forced them to be accompanied by a male relative. when they left home, they banned television and music and held public executions.
Despite promises, Afghans in Kabul and elsewhere have reported that some Taliban members ban girls from attending school and go door-to-door in search of people working with Western forces.
The bombings also raise questions about Taliban vows to bring security to Afghanistan. No one knows how effective they will be in the fight against ISIS Sunni extremists, who have carried out a series of brutal attacks on Afghanistan, mainly targeting their Shiite Muslim minority.
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Akhgar reported from Istanbul, Gannon of Islamabad and Anna of Nairobi, Kenya. Associated Press writers from around the world collaborated.
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