{"id":56016,"date":"2021-08-27T18:52:29","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T18:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/08\/27\/after-kabul-attack-evacuations-resume-and-troops-prepare-to-fully-withdraw\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:11:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:11:02","slug":"after-kabul-attack-evacuations-resume-and-troops-prepare-to-fully-withdraw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/08\/27\/after-kabul-attack-evacuations-resume-and-troops-prepare-to-fully-withdraw\/","title":{"rendered":"After Kabul attack, evacuations resume and troops prepare to fully withdraw"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: this story has been updated with new information from the Marine Corps about an additional casualty<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Troops on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport got 8,000 evacuees<\/a> out of Kabul on Thursday, according to the deputy director of the Joint Staff for regional operations, in the wake of an ISIS bombing<\/a> that ripped through the crowds outside he gate, killing dozens and injuring many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-nine C-17 Globemasters and five C-130 Hercules<\/a> took off amid the chaos and trauma outside the gates, Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor told reporters Friday, with 54 partner country flights getting out another 4,000. Taylor also clarified that, prior to previous reports, it\u2019s now the Pentagon\u2019s understanding that only one bomb went off outside of the airport, near the Abbey Gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can confirm for you that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron Hotel \u2015 that this was one suicide bomber,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not sure how that report was provided incorrectly but we do know it\u2019s not any surprise that in the confusion of very dynamic events like this can cause information sometimes to be misreported or garbled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, casualties among U.S. troops total 13 deaths and 18 wounded. The services have individually confirmed 11 Marine deaths, one soldier and one Navy corpsman, though identities will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more than 5,000 people on the airfield waiting for flights out, Taylor said, and processing of those lined up outside continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With four days left to complete the mission, there have been some changes to the security posture outside the gates, Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMultiple activities have take place to increase the force protection, specifically in communication with the Taliban, in terms of how they are executing their checkpoint operations and communication,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked whether there were changes to the number of troops outside the gates or the surveillance of the crowds, Taylor would only say that they were taking precautions to \u201cnot create patterns\u201d that would make it easier to target them.<\/p>\n\n\n\t