New Delhi: At least 13 people died and several were injured in two major explosions near Afghanistan’s Kabul airport today. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for it. The blasts occurred even as the US and NATO forces guarded the facility where evacuation was going on. The US had prior intelligence about the possible terror attack but it could still not prevent it. So much for the peace agreement!
Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Thursday (August 26) explained how the animosity between ISIS and the Taliban triggered the blasts and how the US and other powerful western nations could do nothing to stop it.
The first explosion happened near Abbey Gate of Kabul Airport. It is one of the four gates from where people enter the airport. The second blast happened near a hotel about one and a half kilometers away from the airport. This attack was said to be carried out by suicide bombers. The US has confirmed that some of its citizens have also died in the blasts.
At present, security has been beefed up around the airport. But the question is, how will the Taliban who only have experience in carrying out attacks defend such attacks and save the Afghans.
US President Joe Biden had expressed the possibility of this attack a day earlier. The Intelligence Unit of America issued an alert asking its citizens to stay away from Kabul airport. They even issued an alert asking people standing at Abbey Gate, North Gate and East Gate of Kabul airport to vacate immediately as there could be a big explosion. This clearly establishes that America had absolutely correct information about this terrorist attack.
Even Britain's Armed Forces Minister James Heappey had said in one of his interviews this morning that he had already received the communication which he would have to give to the press in the event of an attack at the airport.
Not just America and Britain, the armies of NATO countries also received the alert of a possible terrorist attack 24 hours in advance.
But these western countries, the so-called superpowers, did nothing more than close the airport gates and issue alerts. They left thousands of Afghan civilians at risk despite knowing about the attack.
There can be two motives behind these attacks by ISIS. The first objective may be to challenge America, which fought for 20 years to eliminate such organisations. That is why today the big question is whether a country like America will remain hiding inside the airport even after this attack or will it take action against this terrorist organisation and save lives.
The second objective is to challenge the Taliban, who believe that they alone have control over the whole of Afghanistan. By carrying out this attack, ISIS has sent a message that they too are active in the region and can still carry out major attacks.
Ultimately, it is the common people of Afghanistan who will have to bear the brunt of this animosity. Innocent people are being killed while the world watches.
It is to be noted that these bomb blasts at Kabul airport may impact the deal the US had made with the Taliban. The first condition of the Doha peace agreement last year was that the Taliban would not allow such terrorist organisations to use their soil to operate. But this agreement was broken even before final pull out by the US.
Therefore, now the challenge before the US is whether it will cancel the decision to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in violation of the agreement or will it carry on with the rescue operation ignoring these attacks. If the latter happens, then the peace agreement would be rendered meaningless.
