Merkel: Terrorists targeted Afghan people seeking freedom, security

BERLIN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly condemned attacks that targeted Afghan civilians outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday.

Merkel said at a news conference in Berlin that German authorities assume the attacks were carried out by several suicide bombers.

“The terrorists targeted people who were waiting at the gate, hoping to travel for their freedom and security. This is an absolutely vile attack,” she said.

Merkel promised that Germany will continue to assist Afghan local staff, family members, who have not been able to leave the country.

“The foreign ministry, our envoy [Markus] Potzel is holding talks with the Taliban. We’ll coordinate our next steps with our international partners,” she said.

The German military ended evacuation flights from the airport Thursday, due to the deteriorating security situation in Kabul and the self-imposed US deadline of Aug. 31 for the withdrawal of foreign troops.

All remaining German soldiers, police officers and diplomats left on military aircraft, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters in Berlin.

Talks with Taliban

Potzel is currently in talks with the Taliban in Qatar to convince the group to allow civilian airlifts in the coming weeks.

Germany has evacuated nearly 5,200 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul but thousands of Afghans who worked for the German military, development agencies and other institutions are still trying to flee.

Merkel’s coalition government has been criticized for failing to anticipate the Taliban's swift takeover and for ignoring repeated warnings to evacuate thousands of Afghan local staff, their family members, women’s rights activists and politicians who have close ties to Germany.

The Taliban’s Aug. 15 capture of Kabul triggered an exodus of foreign nationals and workers, along with Afghans who worked with foreign militaries and groups.

The Taliban said it is working to form a government that would be inclusive.