“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and injured,” he added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the “cowardly and inhuman attacks” on Twitter, adding that “it is essential to do everything to ensure the safety of people at the airport.”
“The international community must work closely together to avoid a resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan and beyond,” she added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed his anger and sorrow. “I strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack outside #Kabul airport. My thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones,” he said on Twitter. “Our priority remains to evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible.”
The United States and European allies had issued warnings in recent days about an attack targeting the airport, and the Biden administration had raised concerns about the threat posed by the Islamic State in Khorasan, or ISIS-K, the Syria-based militant group’s Afghanistan contingent.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in remarks during a visit to Ireland on Thursday, said the previous few hours had been “very difficult” and that “in our thoughts are our teams on the ground, as well as the families and all those who are currently trying to protect their lives and leave the country, even as there have been several explosions outside the airport in the last few hours.”
Macron said France’s ambassador to Afghanistan would leave the country and work from Paris.
“This is a very difficult day, not just for Afghans but for people around the world, including in Canada, who have long been deeply committed to the Afghan people and a better future for Afghanistan,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters at a campaign event in Quebec City.
India’s External Affairs Ministry released a statement extending condolences to the victims’ families and thoughts and prayers to the injured. “Today’s attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism and all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists,” the statement said.
Norway’s foreign minister joined the chorus of condemnation, as did German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Agence France-Presse reported.
The British Defense Ministry said on Twitter that there had been no reports of British military or government casualties from the blasts. Britain’s secretary of state for transport issued a notice advising airlines to avoid Afghan airspace under 25,000 feet. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called an emergency meeting, Politico reported.
Johnson on Thursday said British evacuation efforts would continue despite the “barbaric” attacks. He did not specify when Britain would wrap up its rescue efforts, though he said it was in the “final stages” of its evacuation.
“Clearly what this attack shows is the importance of continuing that work in as fast and as efficient a manner as possible in the hours that remain to us,” he said.
On Wednesday, Britain was among several countries warning people to stay away from the Kabul airport, citing the threat of a terrorist attack.
The Taliban, long criticized for its ties to extremist groups but a sworn enemy of the Islamic State, has denounced the attack.
“The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing of civilians at Kabul airport, which took place in an area where US forces are responsible for security,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a Twitter statement, using another name for the group.
A Taliban official told The Washington Post that the group has “launched an investigation to know the nature of the blasts and why it happened.”
Abdullah Abdullah, a former reconciliation council leader who has been in talks with the Taliban about forming a new government, wrote on Twitter: “My thought and prayers are with the victims and their families at this difficult time.”
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, also among the former leaders who are in talks with the Taliban, “strongly denounced” the attack in a statement on Twitter, calling it “a crime against humanity and an attack on the Afghan people.”
“President Karzai expressed his hope that our beloved country will be freed from suffering as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan; Karla Adam in London; and Amanda Coletta in Toronto contributed to this report.
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World, Afghan leaders condemn attack near Kabul airport - The Washington Post
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