Afghanistan: Child among two killed after Rocket hits near Kabul airport

Kabul, Aug 29: At least two people are killed and three injured after an explosion reported near Kabul airport on Sunday. The blast occurred after a rocket hit a residential house in the 11th Security District, Khawaja Bughra area.

Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name, says the rocket struck Sunday afternoon.

The airport was not hit directly. Photos and videos on social media show large plumes of smoke rising from the site at around 1.30pm UK time, while panic could be heard among people present there.

Alarming! Rocket attacks near Kabul Airport are reported.#Kabul pic.twitter.com/rbOJGC3KhE

— Ihtesham Afghan (@IhteshamAfghan) August 29, 2021

No group immediately claimed the attack.

The rocket fire comes as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul''s international airport, the scene of much of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital since the Taliban took over two weeks ago.

After an Islamic State affiliate''s suicide attack that killed over 180 people, the Taliban increased its security around the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights Saturday.

Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden had previously warned another terror attack on the airport was imminent, after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport carried out by ISIS-K - an Islamic extremist group operating in the Central Asian country - killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghans.