UK to continue evacuations from Afghanistan despite attacks

LONDON

The UK said Thursday that it would continue evacuation efforts in Afghanistan despite multiple "barbaric" attacks that shook the capital Kabul.

"I can confirm there has been a barbaric terrorist attack, what looks like a series of attacks at the airport and at the crowds of the airport of which members of the US military very sadly have lost their lives, and many Afghan casualties as well," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a TV interview on Sky News.

Speaking after an emergency Cabinet meeting in response to the attacks, Johnson said the bombings would not "interrupt our progress. We are going to get on with this evacuation."

"We extend our condolences both to the United States of America and to the people of Afghanistan," he said.

Johnson said coalition forces were always going to be vulnerable to attacks during the chaotic evacuation of foreign and Afghan nationals that members of the Daesh/ISIS terror group would attempt to infiltrate.

"There were always going to vulnerabilities to terrorism and opportunistic terrorist attacks. We condemn them. I think they are despicable, but I am afraid they are something we had to prepare for," he added.

Multiple explosions shook Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Thursday, including two outside the airport serving the city, killing dozens and wounding over 100, according to media reports and Anadolu Agency's correspondent on the ground.

A BBC report citing a senior Kabul health official said that more than 60 people had died, while over 140 were injured in the explosions.

US CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie confirmed that 12 US soldiers had been killed and 15 others were wounded in the blasts.

A previous statement by the Ministry of Defense shortly after the blasts said the UK is working with allies to establish what happened in relation to the attacks.

"We are working urgently to establish what has happened in Kabul and its impact on the ongoing evacuation effort," it said.

"Our primary concern remains the safety of our personnel, British citizens and the citizens of Afghanistan. We are in close contact with our US and other NATO allies at an operational level on the immediate response to this incident," it added.