ISLAMIC State has taken responsibility for a deadly bombing attack at Kabul airport after days of terror attack warnings from United States forces.
The two blasts killed at least 60 people according to the latest figures.
At least another 100 people were wounded.
US Central Command head General Kenneth McKenzie said 12 US service members were killed and 15 were wounded in the attack.
All Australian defence personnel had left Afghanistan by the time of the blast.
“While we’re saddened by the loss of life, both US and Afghan, we’re continuing to execute the mission,” General McKenzie said.
Afghans, US citizens and others eager to leave the country had been flocking to Kabul’s international airport after a Taliban takeover in the capital in mid-August when the Afghan military collapsed following withdrawal of US troops and contractors.
On the other side of the world, the Catholic Church, particularly in the US has been “involved in the reception and establishment” of those seeking safe haven, US Catholic Conference of Bishops migration and refugee service director Bill Canny said.
While some of those fleeing are US citizens, many are refugees who do not have family members in the country nor have been in the country before and left their lives behind at a moment’s notice with little beyond what they could carry.
“These are people who have been persecuted in their countries and they need new homes, their kids need to get into schools, they need to find work,” Mr Canny said.
Faith-based groups, including Catholic organisations, have been calling on President Joe Biden to speed up the evacuations.
The George Bush administration sent troops to Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, trying to pin down al-Qaida militants who planned the attack, including Osama bin Laden, who was believed to be in and out of Afghanistan hiding with help from the Taliban.
US troops remained there under previous administrations from both political parties and in October 2020, President Donald Trump tweeted that he would withdraw troops from Afghanistan by Christmas.
Mr Biden continued with the plan but with a different timeline.
However, analysts have blamed all previous administrations – from Bush to Biden – with the unfolding drama.
General McKenzie said at least 1,000 Americans were still in Afghanistan and the US would do everything possible to get them out, “but not everybody wants to leave”, he said.
