A C-17 attempts to take off from Kabul while surrounded by a crowd of Afghans. Screenshot from Twitter video.
The Department of Defense confirmed that US troops killed two gunmen who opened fire Monday, Aug. 16, at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby also told reporters that one American service member may have been wounded during the attack.
The situation at the airport remained chaotic Monday as US officials briefly stopped all military flights in and out of the airport until US troops could stabilize the facility. Multiple reports in recent hours indicate flights have resumed and evacuation efforts are again underway.
According to a joint statement from the DOD and the Department of State, US forces will focus on air traffic control and airport security efforts.
Videos strewn about social media showed — usually without context — crowds of people surging toward military and civilian airplanes. Several videos appear to show at least two people falling to their deaths after clinging to a C-17 cargo plane during takeoff.
Others capture what sounds like gunshots, which Kirby confirmed could have been fired by — or at — US troops.
According to the Pentagon, US forces returned fire after two individuals attacked Americans at the airport. It’s unclear whether the two gunmen were Taliban fighters.
The US is expanding its presence on the ground, with an announced commitment of 6,000 total troops in the next two days.
Seven people have been killed since the Hamid Karzai airport became the hub of a massive evacuation effort amid the Afghanistan government’s collapse, according to The Associated Press, which cited unnamed US officials.
Read Next:
Dustin Jones is a former senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine covering military and intelligence news. Jones served four years in the Marine Corps with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He studied journalism at the University of Colorado and Columbia University. He has worked as a reporter in Southwest Montana and at NPR. A New Hampshire native, Dustin currently resides in Southern California.
BRCC and Bad Moon Print Press team up for an exclusive, limited-edition T-shirt design!
BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!
Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.
Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.
Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.
Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.
Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.
A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.
