2021 Kabul airport attack
| 2021 Kabul airport attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Islamic State–Taliban conflict, the 2021 Kabul airlift and the war on terror | |
| Location | Kabul International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 34°33′31″N 69°13′13″E / 34.55861°N 69.22028°E |
| Date | 26 August 2021 17:50 (UTC+04:30) |
| Target | Afghan civilians, foreign troops, and Taliban members |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Deaths | 182 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 150+ |
| Perpetrator | Islamic State – Khorasan Province |
| Assailant | Abdul Rahman al-Logari |
| Defenders | Taliban United States United Kingdom |
A suicide bombing took place at Kabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 26 August 2021, at 17:50 local time (13:20 UTC), during the evacuation from Afghanistan. At least 182 people were killed, including 169 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the United States military, the first American military casualties in the War in Afghanistan since February 2020. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS–K) claimed responsibility for the attack.
On 27 August, the United States launched an unmanned airstrike which the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said was against three suspected ISIS–K members in Nangarhar Province. On 29 August, the US conducted a second drone strike in Kabul, targeting a vehicle which they suspected was carrying ISIS–K members, but actually carried an Afghan aid worker. Ten Afghan civilians were killed in the drone strike, including seven children.
In 2023, the (unnamed) leader of the ISIS–K cell that organized the attack was believed to have been killed by Taliban security forces.