The four soldiers in question, part of the Spanish contingent, have the mission of supporting the withdrawal of 116 people who appear on the priority lists of the Portuguese Government, and which include about 20 Afghan interpreters who worked with the Portuguese Detached National Forces and their families.
Speaking to RTP on Wednesday, the minister of National Defense, João Gomes Cravinho, said that the four soldiers are working "inside the airport", as there are no conditions to leave the site, with the mission of "helping" individuals that appear on the priority lists to “enter the airport and transfer to the planes”.
“It is a risky mission, for sure it is, because the whole situation is an extremely delicate and difficult situation. Our soldiers are prepared and trained for this, with all the necessary skills to carry out their mission well”, stated Gomes Cravinho at the time.
An explosion occurred today at the airport in Kabul, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, without being able to provide a balance of possible victims.
“We can confirm an explosion outside the airport in Kabul,” Kirby wrote on Twitter, adding that he does not yet have clear information about the existence of victims.
According to witnesses who were at one of the main gates where thousands of people gather, the explosion has killed and wounded several Afghans.
US officials quoted by various US media outlets indicate that it was a suicide attack and several witnesses speak of fatalities and several injuries among the Afghan population.