FOX NEWS: At Least Ten US Service Members Killed in Kabul Terror Attack

BIDEN LAST WEEK: ‘Any Attack on Our Forces at the Airport Will Be Met with a Swift and Forceful Response’

Afghanistan descended into more chaos Thursday after a “complex terror attack” inflicted unknown casualties outside Kabul’s International Airport, prompting many to look to the White House for an official response as Americans remain trapped in the country.

“We’re in constant contact with the Taliban working to ensure civilians have safe passage to the airport… Any attack on our forces or disruption of our operations at the airport will be met with swift and forceful response,” said Biden last week flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris.

BIDEN LAST WEEK: "Any attack on our forces or disruption of our operations at the airport will be met with swift and forceful response." pic.twitter.com/chiPr7LPou

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 26, 2021

Congressman Dan Crenshaw issued a statement following the terror attacks near Kabul’s main airport Thursday, demanding President Biden “fix the mess he created” and to “stop running from it.”

“Mr. President, fix the mess you created. Stop running from it. We are still at war. You didn’t ‘end the war,’ you just gave the enemy new advantage. Go on offense, establish superiority, and don’t leave until all our citizens and allies are safe,” posted Crenshaw on Twitter.

Mr. President, fix the mess you created. Stop running from it. We are still at war. You didn’t “end the war,” you just gave the enemy new advantage. Go on offense, establish superiority, and don’t leave until all our citizens and allies are safe. https://t.co/htKFMQ0Y0k

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) August 26, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed a second explosion in downtown Kabul Thursday after an earlier explosion rocked the capital’s international airport.

“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update,” posted the Pentagon Press Secretary on Twitter.

We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.

— Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021

 

Fox News is now reporting at least three American soldiers were injured in the first blast.

“A suicide bombing outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport in Afghanistan Thursday injured at least three U.S. troops, U.S. officials confirmed. A U.S. official indicated that the attack set off a firefight at Abbey  Gate, where last night, there were 5,000 Afghans and potentially some Americans seeking access to the airport,” reports Fox News.

“We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can,” posted Kirby on Twitter.

We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can.

— Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021

#BREAKING: Explosion reported at Kabul airport https://t.co/s40Ede94cd pic.twitter.com/4yeWCjwSF5

— The Hill (@thehill) August 26, 2021

This is a breaking news report. Check back for updates.

 

BIDEN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Afghanistan Collapse ‘Unfolded at Unexpected Speed’

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan weighed-in on the chaos engulfing Afghanistan Monday; admitting the Biden administration was caught off-guard by the “speed” of the Taliban advance.

“The president did not think it was inevitable that the Taliban were going to take control of Afghanistan,” Sullivan told ABC News. “He thought the Afghan national security forces could step up and fight because we spent 20 years, tens of billions of dollars, training them, giving them the best equipment, giving them support of U.S. forces for 20 years.”

“When push came to shove, they decided not to step up and fight for their country,” Sullivan added.

Scenes of panic and chaos played out at the airport in Kabul as crowds of people desperate to escape Afghanistan rushed onto the tarmac.

Some clung to the sides of planes, even as one taxied down the runway, in a bid to flee the Taliban.https://t.co/pAgoGW7tos pic.twitter.com/4YGQd2iEzk

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 16, 2021

“We planned for a wide range of contingencies, one of those was the need to flow in a substantial number of forces to secure the airport and be able to facilitate that evacuation,” Sullivan explained. “We have now successfully drawn down the U.S. embassy in Kabul. We have moved all of those personnel either to the airport or out of the country. And we flowed in several thousand troops who had been prepositioned in theater for precisely this purpose.”

BREAKING: Seven people are dead amid the chaos at the Kabul airport, including some who fell from a departing American military transport jet, senior U.S. military officials say. https://t.co/2JPKZXpx4n

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 16, 2021

“We are working to do that, first, by securing the airport today and then in the days ahead, by taking people out one flight a time, flight after flight,” Sullivan said. “We fully intend to continue an evacuation process to bring out people who worked alongside of us in Afghanistan.”

Biden to address nation on Afghanistan "soon" https://t.co/sUMBFFi2Za pic.twitter.com/SbvXd4d3zT

— The Hill (@thehill) August 16, 2021

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.