Two British adults and the child of a British national were among the casualties of the explosion at Kabul airport on Thursday, it has been confirmed.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the British nationals and the child of another were killed in the explosion yesterday, which claimed the lives of at least 60 Afghans and 13 US troops in the deadliest day for US forces in Afghanistan since August 2011.
Raab said: “I was deeply saddened to learn that two British nationals and the child of another British national were killed by yesterday’s terror attack, with two more injured.
“These were innocent people and it is a tragedy that as they sought to bring their loved ones to safety in the UK they were murdered by cowardly terrorists.
“Yesterday’s despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out. We are offering consular support to their families.
“We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need, and we will never be cowed by terrorists.”
US president Joe Biden has vowed to “hunt down” the terrorists responsible for Thursday’s attack, which has been blamed on an affiliate of the so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan, known as Isis-K.
On Friday, UK defence secretary Ben Wallace warned that the threat of attacks by Isis-K around Kabul airport would increase with the departure of foreign forces, who must leave Afghanistan by the agreed deadline of 31 August.
Asked whether he was concerned there would be more attacks, Wallace told the BBC: “I am concerned. Isis have an intent, they have the capability, should they wish to do so, to deploy more of these types of attacks.
“I’m absolutely concerned that, until we’ve gone, there’s an absolute threat to our forces, and even after we’ve gone there’s a threat to the Afghan people from Isis.”
The UK marked the final stages of its evacuation from Kabul on Friday, meaning no more people will be called to the airport to leave.
Speaking to Sky News, Wallace said the Baron Hotel processing centre, near where the bombings took place, was shut at 4.30am, as was the Abbey Gate to Kabul airport.