These Photos Show The Devastating Aftermath Of The Deadly Kabul Airport Attack

At least 13 US service members and an unknown number of Afghan civilians were killed in an explosion at an already chaotic airport.

By
Kirsten Chilstrom
by Kirsten Chilstrom

BuzzFeed News Photo Editor

Two explosions outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday left a scene of carnage and destruction, with at least 13 US service members and an unknown number of Afghan civilians killed.

The attacks were believed to have been carried out by an ISIS suicide bomber, US officials said, adding that they were still working to calculate "the total loss." The attacks only added to the chaos, panic, and fear at the airport; crowds of Afghan families have been struggling to flee Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country. Images showed emergency workers and civilians rushing to help those injured by the blasts and gunfire.

Here's a look at the aftermath of the deadly attacks:

A large crowd gathers outside a gate at the airport in Kabul as a guard posts a sign that reads "Gate Closed"
Wali Sabawoon / AP

A US soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather near an evacuation control checkpoint outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on the morning of Aug. 26.

A cloud of smoke billows in the sky after an explosion
Wali Sabawoon / AP

Smoke rises from a deadly explosion outside the Kabul airport, Aug. 26.

People fill the streets and assist others who were wounded by the explosion
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A wounded patient is brought via taxi to a hospital in Kabul, Aug. 26.

Two young Afghan boys, both weeping, hold each other
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Two boys embrace each other outside a Kabul hospital after the attacks.

Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal
A wounded man on a stretcher is pushed toward emergency care
Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Getty Images

Medical staffers transport an injured man on a stretcher after the two deadly explosions outside the airport in Kabul on Aug. 26.

Military soldiers sit behind a wall, one looking over the barrier through their gun scope
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

British soldiers secure the perimeter outside the Baron Hotel in Kabul.

A crowd sits in the dark near armed soldiers
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Afghan refugees crouch in a group as British military personnel secure the perimeter outside the Baron Hotel, Aug. 26.

Five wounded men lie in hospital beds
Mohammad Asif Khan / AP

Wounded Afghans at a hospital, Aug. 26

Afghan citizens gather and help transport a body wrapped in a blanket
Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Getty Images

Volunteers and medical staffers unload bodies from a pickup truck, Aug. 26.

An injured person lying on a hospital bed holds an IV drip
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A wounded patient waits in the hallway to be transported to another floor at Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital in Kabul.

Military troops stand guard outside a hotel in Kabul
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

British soldiers secure the perimeter outside the Baron Hotel on a road that leads to the Abbey Gate in Kabul, Aug. 26.

A man with a bandaged hand and IV bag stands outside
Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A wounded patient walks with an IV bag in hand in Kabul on Aug. 26.


Skip to footer