Two Brits and child of third UK national, among 95 people killed in Kabul terror attack

Two British men and the teenage child of a third UK national were among 95 people killed in the terror attack outside Kabul airport yesterday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said.

The suicide bombing was claimed by ISIS-K, an offshoot of the so-called Islamic State group.

Mr Raab said: “I was deeply saddened to learn that two British nationals and the child of another British national were killed by yesterday’s terror attack, with two more injured.

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“These were innocent people and it is a tragedy that as they sought to bring their loved ones to safety in the UK they were murdered by cowardly terrorists.

“Yesterday’s despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out. We are offering consular support to their families.

“We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need, and we will never be cowed by terrorists.”

The three fatalities were from three different families, all waiting outside the airport trying to gain access to an evacuation flight out of Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

Two more British nationals were injured. One of the wounded was moved onto the airfield, treated by military medics and is set to be evacuated to the UK.

The other wounded victim, a child, is being treated at a hospital in Kabul.

One of the two people injured was from a fourth family.

It comes as Pentagon officials said there was no second explosion in the attack – adding it was important to “correct the record”.

US Army major William “Hank” Taylor said: “I can confirm for you that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, that it was one suicide bomber.”

Thirteen US service personnel were among the dead.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said officials count not confirm the Taliban had not been involved in the attack and said there “was a failure” at some point.

He said: “We have not been certain about [Taliban involvement] at all.

American troops wounded in the attack are being treated in Germany.

When asked how many ISIS-K members had been left in prisons liberated by the Taliban, Mr Kirby said “clearly it is in the thousands”.

He said American forces had not moved these prisoners ahead of the Taliban takeover because it was the responsibility of Afghan forces.

“As the Taliban advanced we did not see the level of resistance by the Afghans to hold some bases, some territories and unfortunately those were bases that the Afghans did not hold,” he said.

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The Pentagon confirmed in the last 24-hours 85 flights have left Kabul airport, with approximately 12,500 people – taking the total evacuated to 111,000.

Although some gates to the airport have closed, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said America will be there “until the end” trying to evacuate people.

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