Explosion Outside Kabul Airport In Afghanistan, Pentagon Confirms : NPR

Evacuations continue from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Reports of explosions outside the airport were confirmed the following morning.

Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Evacuations continue from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Reports of explosions outside the airport were confirmed the following morning.

Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

An explosion has been reported outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Details are scarce. Here’s what we know at this point.

Update 10:42 a.m.:
According to a U.S. official, three U.S. marines were wounded in the explosion at the airport gate. A dozen or more others are likely wounded, but their nationalities are unclear.

Update 10:35 a.m. ET:
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul says the blast took place at the “Abbey Gate” of the airport. It’s one of the entrances to the airport that the embassy had specifically asked U.S. citizens to avoid due to a heightened fears of an attack.

The embassy statement says there are reports of on-going gunfire.It adds that U.S. citizens “should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time.”

The embassy’s latest security alert is here.

Original story:
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed reports of an explosion outside of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday.

“Casualties are unclear at this time,” he wrote in a tweet. “We will provide additional details when we can.”

A short while later, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said in a security alert that a “large explosion” had taken place at the Abbey Gate of the airport. It’s one of the entrances to the airport that the embassy had specifically asked U.S. citizens to avoid due to a heightened fears of an attack.

There are reports of ongoing gunfire, it added.

The embassy statement urges U.S. citizens to “avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time.” Those who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate or North Gate should leave immediately.

The White House, State Department, Pentagon and U.S. Embassy in Kabul have all been warning of heightened threat from ISIS-K militants in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the ongoing evacuation effort there.

In a security alert on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul urged Americans outside the gates of the airport to leave the area immediately, citing security threats. Officials also cautioned U.S. citizens against travel to the airport.

This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.