At least 160 Afghan civilians and 13 American soldiers were killed in the explosion during the last days of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, after two decades of conflict in the country, also affirmed the investigation of the Pentagon.
The powerful bomb detonated in a dense crowd gathered outside the airport waiting or hoping to board a plane that would leave the country, while the Taliban had already taken control of Kabul. Although gunshots were heard after the explosion, US authorities claimed that they were “warning shots”, and that none of the victims recorded had been killed by these shots.
Confusion
According to US Brigadier General Lance Curtis, the deaths were the result of shrapnel emanating from the bomb, some elements of which could cause wounds similar to gunshot wounds. General Curtis admitted that that day, the US military considered the attack “complex”, and involving an Daesh shooter in addition to the suicide bomber.
Adding to the confusion, shrapnel from the bomb pierced tear gas canisters carried by US soldiers for crowd control. The smoke created “immediate chaos and sensory overload,” one of the US officials said speaking to reporters about the investigation.
The bomb also injured 45 American soldiers, some with brain damage due to the force of the explosion.