WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – A new review by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) indicates that the suicide bombing at Kabul airport in August 2021, during the country’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan, was not preventable at the tactical level.
In the document published on Monday, April 15, CENTCOM said that the suicide bomber had not been previously identified in the crowd, and there was no opportunity for US service members to engage him before the attack.
During the US and NATO military withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, a deadly suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport killed 13 US service members and over 170 citizens of Afghanistan.
The suicide attack took place as thousands of people converged on the airport, desperately trying to flee after the Taliban swiftly took control of the country.
The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP), claimed responsibility for the attack immediately after the blast.
The suicide attack triggered widespread debate and criticism from US congressional members, further fueled by emotional testimony from a Marine wounded in the blast. The Marine claimed that snipers believed they had spotted the potential bomber but were unable to obtain approval to neutralize him.
In testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee last year, former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews said that Marines and other personnel assisting in the evacuation were provided with descriptions of individuals suspected of planning an attack.
Vargas-Andrews, who was injured in the blast, said that he and others observed a man matching the description and potentially could have prevented the attack, but their requests to take action were denied.
“Over the communication network we passed that there was a potential threat and an IED attack imminent. This was as serious as it could get,” he said, noting that he asked for permission to shoot, but “our battalion commander said, and I quote, ‘I don’t know,’ end quote.”
“Myself and my team leader asked very harshly, ‘Well, who does? Because this is your responsibility, sir.’ He again replied he did not know but would find out. We received no update and never got our answer. Eventually the individual disappeared. To this day, we believe he was a suicide bomber,” he said.
The findings of CENTCOM’s investigation contradict claims made by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the would-be bomber but did not get approval. “Leaders at Abbey Gate were present, engaged, and made sound tactical decisions,” the report said.
The new investigation was ordered by Gen. Eric Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, in response to criticisms of the initial findings and persistent suggestions that the attack could have been prevented.
CENTCOM says that over five months, a team of 13 service members from both the Marine Corps and the Army traveled to 24 locations, conducted more than 50 interviews, and compiled more than 1,200 additional pages of documents, information, and imagery.
According to CENTCOM, the new information obtained during the review indicates that it did not materially impact the findings in the November 2021 Abbey Gate 15-6 investigation, and the supplemental review team did not recommend any modifications to those findings.
