The suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 US service members and over 170 Afghans in August was 'not preventable,' the Pentagon ...
The suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 US service members and over 170 Afghans in August was 'not preventable,' the Pentagon announced on Friday following a probe into the attack.
The terror attack, which ISIS claimed responsibility for, occurred in the early morning hours of August 26, during the frenzied evacuation near the US embassy.
'Based on our investigation at the tactical level, this was not preventable,' General Lance Curtis said during a briefing Friday.
'And the leaders on the ground followed the proper measures. And any time there was an imminent threat warning they followed the proper procedures: they lowered their profile, they sought cover and, at times, they even ceased operations at the gate.'
The probe revealed that the terrorist responsible for the attack was carrying 20 pounds of explosives and ball bearings.
A Taliban fighter stands guard on August 27, 2021 at the site of the August 26 twin suicide bombs, which killed scores of people including 13 US troops, at Kabul airport
People stand among bodies of the victims of an attack outside Kabul's airport, Afghanistan August 26, 2021 in this still grab obtained from a handout video
An emergency vehicle as people arrive at a hospital after an attack at Kabul airport, Afghanistan August 26, 2021
A US Marine Corps carry team transfers the remains of Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo of Lawrence, Massachusetts, on August 29, 2021, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware
The devastation of the suicide bombing was so severe that officials initially believed that the attack was carried out by multiple people.
The blast managed to pierce though body armor and helmets, with the ball bearings leaving injuries that mimicked gunshot wounds.
'The disturbing lethality of this device was confirmed by the 58 US service members who were killed and wounded despite the universal wear of body armor and helmets that did stop ball bearings that impacted them but could not prevent catastrophic injuries to areas not covered,' said General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command.
Meanwhile, gunfire exchanged during the attack was later found to be warning shots fired by American or British troops.
Among the 11 Marines killed were Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20.
The Army sustained one casualty, Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, while the Navy lost Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22 in the terrorist attack, according to Military Times.
A suitcase and backpacks of Afghan people who were waiting to be evacuated are seen at the site of the August 26 suicide bombing, which killed scores of people including 13 US troops
A Taliban fighter stands guard at the site of the August 26 suicide bombs, a day after the attack on August 27
The attack took place amidst the evacuation of thousands of Afghans at the Kabul Airport, as service members assisted the growing crowds, with the Taliban in hot pursuit as the US ramped up its efforts to withdraw troops from the region after nearly 20 years in Afghanistan.
The probe also found that the terrorist responsible for the attack had somehow bypassed security checkpoints, and had done so without the Taliban's direction.
Video of the aftermath showed as Afghan civilians fled the area as Marines and service members moved towards the attack zone to help evacuate those who had been injured in the bombing.
Troops had the dangerous task of evacuating roughly 126,000 people from the country as the Taliban reclaimed its former territory, which it had lost following the 2003 US invasion of Afghanistan.
US Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, pictured center on stairs, arrives at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan August 17, 2021
Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie smiles during the promotion ceremony as the new commander of US Central Command at Macdill Air Force Base in 2019 in Tampa
President Joe Biden gestures as he walks on the South Lawn from Marine One to the White House following a trip to Delaware, in Washington DC on Sunday
Meanwhile, the results of the Pentagon's probe into the attack come days after widespread criticism of President Joe Biden by Republicans on the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, who collectively slammed his administration for the hasty troop withdrawal.
The Committee's new report specifically cited the abandonment of the Bagram Air Base among criticisms regarding the frantic evacuation.
'It is clear the senior leadership of the Biden Administration failed to effectively plan, coordinate and execute an orderly withdrawal and evacuation' from Afghanistan, the report states.
'The Biden Administration squandered precious time, ignored intelligence and recommendations from people on the ground, and refused bipartisan support to give them the resources to succeed. In the process, the botched withdrawal has tarnished America’s reputation and credibility.'
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