Blast Outside Kabul Airport Again amid Security Alert

A huge explosion was reported near Kabul airport on Sunday, two days after ISIS-K perpetrated a deadly blast near the airport killing over 100 and injuring several people, including US, UK and Afghan nationals, reports comes hours after US President Joe Biden said that US military commanders have intelligence inputs of another terrorist attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport within the next 24 to 36 hours. Reports said Sunday's blast was heard from the Gulai area of Khajeh Baghra in the 11th security district. Unconfirmed reports also claimed that the blast might have been caused by a rocket hitting a residential house in the area.

Photos and videos of large plumes of smoke rising from a heavily congested residential area surfaced on social media soon after the blast took place. Initial reports indicate that Sunday's blast was characteristically different from Thursday's blast. Thursday's blast was carried out by a suicide attacker who targeted the crowd outside the Kabul airport, while Sunday's attack, reportedly an airstrike might not have the airport as its target -- the rocket hit a residential area near the airport.

The attack comes just after the US airstrike in Jalalabad in which two ISIS-K men -- including a planner and a facilitator-- was killed. No group has claimed the responsibility for Sunday's attack and there is yet no clarity on casualties of the attack.

"Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours. I directed them to take every possible measure to prioritise force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground," Biden said in his statement.

The US embassy too issued a security alert urging all US citizens in the vicinity of the Kabul airport should leave the area.

Ground of attack-retaliatory attack

Before August 26's airport blasts, the Taliban had anticipated an ISIS attack in Afghanistan and they reportedly alerted foreign forces carrying out evacuation operations in the country. After the airport attack, the United States carried out a 'retaliatory' attack and dropped hints that more such operations can take place in Afghanistan as long as the country is in the process of withdrawing its troops. The Taliban condemned the US airstrike and said the US should have informed the Taliban about it as it is an attack on Afghanitan's territory.