The U.S. embassy in Kabul issued a security alert Saturday night stating that Americans close to the airport “should leave the airport area immediately” citing a “specific threat and credible “.
“Due to a specific and credible threat, all U.S. citizens in the vicinity of Kabul Airport (HKIA), including the South Gate (Airport Circle), the new Home Office, and the gate near the Panjshir gas station on the northwest side of the airport, should leave the airport area immediately, ”the embassy stated.
“U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid all airport gates at this time,” the embassy added.
The brazen warning from the State Department comes just hours later President Biden
Joe Biden, father of Marine assassinated: “Biden turned his back” US conducts military strike against ISIS-K planner Pentagon official holds first talks with Chinese army under leadership Biden: MORE report he said officials notified him that an attack on the airport was very likely to occur in the next 24-36 hours.
“Our commanders informed me that an attack is very likely to occur in the next 24-36 hours. I instructed them to take all possible steps to prioritize the protection of the force and I made sure they had all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground, ”Biden said.“ They assured me that they did and they could take these steps as long as they complete the mission and relegate our staff safely. “
The details were not immediately clear about what the “specific and credible threat” could be.
“Because of security threats at Kabul airport, we continue to advise U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates,” the security alert said. “American citizens who are at the door of the Abbey, the East Gate, the North Gate or the gate of the New Home Office should leave immediately.”
The ISIS-K terrorist group on Thursday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed 13 members of the US service and dozens of Afghans.
U.S. officials had already expressed concern before Thursday about the security situation near the airport, as many Afghans crowded near the area in hopes of getting a flight out of the country.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett SchiffBanks fights January 6 committee efforts to seek legislative records ISIS-K attack assesses evacuation of Kabul. (D-California) said Monday it had worried the airport could be “a very attractive target” for terrorist groups.
“This has been a concern of mine for a few days now: whether this is a very attractive target for ISIS-K or for elements of Al-Qaeda,” Schiff said.
On Friday, the U.S. Central Command announced today that it had a “terrorist operation on the horizon against an ISIS-K planner” in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan.
“The first indications are that we killed the target. We don’t know of any civilian casualties, ”Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement last Friday.
The Pentagon elaborated further on Saturday, saying two “high-profile” ISIS targets had been killed while another was wounded.
A State Department spokesman said in a statement to The Hill Saturday night that the situation on the ground was “volatile.”
“As a general rule, we don’t talk to intelligence, but it’s a dynamic and volatile security situation on the ground. We don’t have a higher priority than the security of U.S. citizens,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman also confirmed the embassy security alert and directed The Hill to refer to the “website of the US embassy in Kabul for updates.”
The Hill has contacted the White House for more information on the threat.
Updated at 10:30 p.m.