Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 30 Aug 2021, 01:07 am Print
Kabul/JEN: At least five rockets were launched targeting the US evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday morning, eyewitnesses said.
The US military, which is currently carrying out its final phase of evacuation process at Kabul airport, had activated C-RAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar) missile defense system which repealed the rocket attack, CNN reported citing US officials.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the rockets had struck in Kabul's Salim Karwan neighbourhood, near HKIA amid the US pullout.
Video: Several rockets were fired from a car in the Khair-Khana area toward Kabul airport, no casualties were reported yet. #ShamshadNews #RocketAttacks #KabulAirport pic.twitter.com/x2qLMYIhrK
— ShamshadNews (@Shamshadnetwork) August 30, 2021
Afghanistan's independent news channel Tolo News's journalist Ziar Khan Yaad reported that those rockets had been launched from a car in Khair-Khana area toward Kabul airport.
Several rockets hit #Kabul city Monday morning. The rockets were fired from a car in Khair Khana area toward Kabul airport, eyewitnesses say.@TOLOnews
— Ziar Khan Yaad (@ziaryaad) August 30, 2021
Video via @pajhwok pic.twitter.com/WEVVGi9PdQ
Local news sources said that no casualty had been reported as of now while it is still unclear who had launched the rocket attack.
The White House in a press statement confirmed the rocket attack toward HKIA and clarified that the incident had not impacted the US evacuation process.
"National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chief of Staff Ron Klain have briefed the President on the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport. The President was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground," the statement by the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki read.
Earlier on Sunday, a US drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying 'multiple suicide bombers' to carry out another suicide attack at Kabul international airport.
Few fatalities were reported in the US drone strike and at least three children were among the deceased, AP said in a report quoting an Afghan official.
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