According to the latest count of US troops believed to have been killed in Thursday's Kabul blasts has increased to 12, according to US officials citing initial information that can change.

Earlier a US official told Reuters that at least 10 American military members were believed killed in the explosions at a gate at the Kabul airport where the United States is mounting a massive evacuation and at a nearby hotel.

India, in a statement, condemned the bomb blasts in Kabul.

India strongly condemns the bomb blasts in Kabul. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of victims of this terrorist attack. Today’s attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism & all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists: MEA pic.twitter.com/PsDFOa7wuN

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2021

Earlier it was reported that four US Marines were killed and three wounded in Thursday's explosions at Kabul airport, US sources had told Reuters, in what the Pentagon had said it was a "complex attack" during its evacuation mission from Afghanistan.

I express my deepest condolences to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and wounded in Kabul today. We will not be dissuaded from the task at hand: US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed multiple US fatalities but did not give details. The US servicemembers were among those killed when at least two blasts tore through crowds thronging the airport gates.

Also Read:

In pics: Kabul airport blast, at least 13 people killed, US suspects ISIS behind attacks

A US official, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters four US personnel were killed and three wounded. Other U.S. sources gave the same figures.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kabul has issued an alert for the American citizens stating that they should avoid the Hamid karzai International Airport.

US Embassy in Kabul issued a security alert telling the American citizens to "avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates," following two explosions outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/QR8XeigQTL

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2021

US officials have said there are about 5,200 American troops providing security at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attacks came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area around the airport because of a threat by Islamic State militants.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport

"The incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan," UN Secretary General Antonio pic.twitter.com/pUdlR0yOgc— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2021

In an alert issued on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul had advised citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and said those already at the gates should leave immediately, citing unspecified "security threats."

A source familiar with U.S. congressional briefings said U.S. officials strongly believe that the Afghan affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), after a historic name for the region, was responsible. ISIS-K is opposed by the United States and the Taliban.

Kirby said one blast occurred near the airport's Abbey Gate and the other close to the nearby Baron Hotel. Two U.S. officials said at least one of the explosions appeared to be from a suicide bombing.

"The explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties," Kirby said on Twitter.

A number of US service members were killed in today's complex attack at Kabul airport. A number of others are being treated for wounds. A number of Afghans fell victim to this heinous attack: Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/JBg1de1z7L

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2021

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul described "a large explosion" and said there had been reports of gunfire.

A massive airlift of foreign nationals and their families as well as some Afghans has been under way since the day before Taliban forces captured Kabul on Aug. 15, capping a swift advance across the country as U.S. and allied troops withdrew.

The United States has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country by Aug. 31. There was no indication from the White House that Biden plans to change the Aug. 31 withdrawal target as a result of the attacks, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Biden was in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, where the United States is in the final steps of ending its 20-year war, when the explosion was first reported, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Biden, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored events via video links.

A Western diplomat in Kabul said that areas outside the airport gates had been "incredibly crowded" again despite the latest warnings.

The United States and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations in history, bringing out about 95,700 people, including 13,400 on Wednesday, the White House said on Thursday.

(Text input from Reuters)

First Published:Aug 27, 2021 12:09 AM IST