More than two years after an ISIS suicide bomber killed 13 American troops in the evacuation of Kabul, the Department of Defense is ordering fresh interviews of service members who were on the scene.
The Associated Press first reported the news. U.S. Central Command plans to interview approximately two dozen service members who were at Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021. CENTCOM made the decision to do fresh interviews after a June review of previous testimony. The new round of interviews do not count as a formal reopening of the previous CENTCOM investigation into the attack, but are meant to see if any new information can be gleaned from the additional voices.
“The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly so the facts are laid bare,” CENTCOM spokesperson Michael Lawhorn said in a statement, per the Associated Press.
The Aug. 26 attack came during the chaotic evacuation of partner members and civilians from Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal. As the Taliban quickly swept into the city, civilians rushed to HKIA to seek a way out. The situation left many American troops exposed as they tried to deal with the rush, and there was concern about an attack. Suicide bombers with ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, detonated explosives at one of the main points of entry, Abbey Gate. 13 service members were killed in the attack and several more wounded.
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