An Afghan translator who worked with the U.S. military witnessed one of the two explosions that rocked Kabul Thursday near its airport, the site staging ground for a weeks-long evacuation by the United States and other NATO allies.
The translator witnessed one of the explosions after he went to the airport Thursday seeking evacuation. He said he saw numerous people wounded, including Americans, and was taking injured to the hospital. He confirmed that a 5-year-old girl died in his arms.
“I am an Afghan translator for the United States Marine Corps. I was over here to, going today to get on a plane and get out of here. There was an explosion that happened inside the crowd. A lot of people got hurt,” he said, according to audio played on Fox News.
“And I got a baby girl, she was five years old, and she died right in my hands,” he said, choking up. “I don’t know what exactly what is going on over there but I think some of the Americans, they got hurt too. And so people are running around … right now I have some casualties with me in my vehicle, and I’m taking them to the hospital.”
LISTEN: Afghan translator for the U.S. Marine Corps witnessed the explosions in Kabul and gives details of what the scene on the ground looks like.
He says he's bringing casualties to a local hospital. pic.twitter.com/7WQx2WXcvh
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 26, 2021
On Thursday, a reported ISIS suicide bomber set off one explosion at one of the main entryways to Hamid Karzai International Airport, the Abbey Gate. Another explosion was set off near Kabul’s Baron Hotel, which has been a gathering place for Americans waiting to be evacuated from the country. As The Daily Wire reported:
The attacks come as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan and end a weeks-long rush to evacuate Americans and Afghan visa holders. The total number of injuries remain unclear, however a preliminary report indicates that at least 13 people are dead and numerous injured from the bombings.
Earlier on Thursday, multiple countries suspended evacuation operations over terror threats reported near the airport. Thousands of Afghans and westerners have gathered outside the perimeter of the airport over the weeks since the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, toppling the Afghan government and forcing the president to flee the country. Desperate Afghans have crowded around the airport attempting to catch a flight out of the country over fear of the coming Taliban rule.
Islamic State-affiliated terrorists have been reported to be in the area, setting off security alerts among U.S. officials. On Wednesday, the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan sent out an alert to Americans still in the country, warning them to stay away from the airport.
“Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so,” the alert said.
On Tuesday, Biden rebuffed calls from U.S. allies and declined to extend the August 31 deadline for U.S. forces in Afghanistan over security risks and the need for cooperation from the Taliban for further evacuations.