The Pentagon has released its report into the investigation into suicide bombings at Kabul's airport during the chaotic final days of American evacuation from Afghanistan.
McKenzie stated to reporters at the Pentagon that the bombing wasn't as complex as it was previously believed and that no Afghan service personnel or Afghans were injured or killed by gunshots. The blast caused all deaths and injuries. Although there was some speculation that the attack might have involved a gun fight between the attackers, the investigation revealed that bullets caused the injuries.
McKenzie stated that "we now know that explosively-fired bearings caused wounds which looked like gunshots." McKenzie said that the "disturbingly lethal" explosive device was confirmed in the deaths and injuries of 58 U.S. military personnel, despite the fact that all service members were wearing body armor and helmets. However, these did not stop the ball bearings from impacting them. But they could not prevent the catastrophic injury to unprotected areas.
The Defense Department also provided video, which is the only known footage of this blast. The video shows an individual wearing black and the blast appears to have come from him, said Army Brigadier General Lance Curtis who conducted the investigation.
Another investigator, Lieutentant-Colonel John Naughton, pointed out to reporters that the area where the bomber struck was very densely crowded, and he showed them a photo that "gives you an idea of why there were so many casualties standing shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back."
As the huge operation to airlift U.S citizens and vulnerable Afghans was nearing its end, just 300 yards from Abbey Gate the main entrance to the airport, a suicide bomber set off a bomb that killed 13 U.S. military personnel and more than 170 Afghans.
The attack left this area crowded because Abbey Gate was the only entry point to the airport.
Although there were warnings about an attack by ISIS-K terrorists, Abbey Gate was not closed so that British troops based at nearby hotels could return to the airport.
Although extensive surveillance was in place to detect any potential threat, military snipers could not identify the bomber hiding among thousands of people lining up at the gate to board a flight from Afghanistan.
