Investigation reveals how Marines were put in a hellish situation at Abbey Gate
'Based on our investigation, at the tactical level, this was not preventable.'
By Jeff Schogol | Published Feb 4, 2022 5:59 PM
Afghan evacuation
In this image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, Marines honor their fallen during a ramp ceremony as the transfer cases with the remains are loaded onto an U.S. Air Force C17A Globemaster III at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP).
An investigation into the deadly suicide bomb attack on Aug. 26 that killed 13 U.S. service members at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan reveals just how horribly exposed the American troops guarding the airport’s gates were, and how little they could do to protect themselves.
Eleven Marines, one Navy corpsman, and a psychological operations soldier were killed by the suicide bomber, who set off 20 pounds of military-grade explosives at the airport’s Abbey Gate, the investigation found. The explosion launched numerous 5 mm ball bearings at the U.S. troops and Afghans outside the gate, creating injuries that doctors first mistook for gunshot wounds. Between 160 and 170 Afghans died from the blast.
Military officials briefed reporters on Friday about the investigation into the incident, which determined all the deaths and injuries at Abbey Gate were caused by the explosion and there was no ensuing gun battle, as initially thought. U.S. and British troops fired dozens of warning shots after the blast, and that contributed to initial reports that gunmen had opened fire on the crowd of Afghans.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marines-afghanistan-abbey-gate-attack-investigation/
