US troops shoot 2 armed individuals on Kabul tarmac

The Wall Street Journal reported on the incident first, and the Pentagon confirmed its occurrence shortly afterwards.

Casualties confirmed

Earlier today, a Pentagon spokesperson informed reporters that “There have been security incidents at the field involving armed individuals shooting at U.S. forces. I want to reiterate that while our mission is not offensive, our forces have the inherent right of self-defense, and they will respond accordingly to threats and attacks.”

“In two separate incidents, U.S. forces did respond to hostile threats that resulted in the death of two armed individuals.” The spokesperson confirmed.

The two individuals apparently approached U.S. soldiers who were assisting in the evacuation in order to threaten them. This prompted the troops to defend themselves and others who could have been harmed by the two.

Though this situation is unfortunate, it pales in comparison to the deaths resulting from the crowds complicating and deterring the current evacuation efforts in Kabul.

A Pentagon official also told the Journal that at least three casualties have happened as a result of people getting caught under aircraft as crowds continue to surround them while they leave. Multiple deaths have also occurred from stampedes at the airport, as well as individuals falling from the sides of aircraft after taking flight.

As the situation continues to evolve, it appears that things will only get worse from here.

President Joe Biden is set to speak on the situation at the White House at 3:30 today. Follow this link in order to view the speech when it goes live.