Mike Pence: U.S. ‘Must Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Troops, Citizens Stranded’ in Afghanistan

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday he was praying for those hurt during the terrorist attacks at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, adding America must do “whatever it takes” to protect its troops and citizens stranded “in this disastrous withdrawal.”

“Praying for the three U.S. Marines and innocent civilians injured in the terrorist attacks near Kabul Airport today. America must do whatever it takes to protect our troops and our citizens stranded in this disastrous withdrawal. God bless them all,” he wrote in a post on Twitter:

Praying for the three U.S. Marines and innocent civilians injured in the terrorist attacks near Kabul Airport today. America must do whatever it takes to protect our troops and our citizens stranded in this disastrous withdrawal. God bless them all.

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 26, 2021

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Thursday confirmed two explosions in Kabul, one happening outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport and a second near the Baron Hotel.

“We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can,” he said in a social media post:

We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can.

— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021

In a subsequent post, Kirby confirmed there were U.S. and civilian casualties.

“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update,” he wrote:

We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.

— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021

Three Marines were “seriously wounded” during one of the bombings at the Kabul airport, according to a report.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin said three Marines — who were among those surged to Afghanistan to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies following the Taliban’s takeover — were “seriously wounded.”

Fox's Jennifer Griffin reporting that 3 Marines were "seriously wounded" in the attacks on the Kabul airport.

Fury. Absolute fury. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/yDesjBpMTh

— John Cooper (@thejcoop) August 26, 2021

Once the Taliban took over faster than President Joe Biden’s administration expected, Biden surged 6,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan along with two infantry Marine battalions to help conduct evacuation operations, Breitbart News reported.