Explosion near the airport - wounded and dead are counted VIDEO / PHOTO

Explosion near the airport - wounded and dead are counted VIDEO / PHOTO

That information was confirmed by State Department spokesman John Kirby.

The blast occurred at the Abi Gate, where thousands of Afghan refugees remained on Thursday despite being shut down by US troops due to growing concerns over the threat.

It came just hours after Western intelligence agencies warned of an imminent terrorist threat.

He added that it was not known if there were any victims, Reuters reports. An unnamed US official told Reuters that there were casualties, but that it was not yet known how many and what nationalities they were. A Talban official stated that at least 13 people were killed in the explosion, including children, and that many Talban fighters were injured, Reuters reports.

The American media and agencies report, referring to unnamed officials, that at least three American soldiers were injured and that it was a suicide attack. US President Joe Biden was also informed about the explosion, Reuters reports.

Biden was reportedly in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, when the news of the explosion was published. The British Ministry of Defense announced that it is trying to urgently determine what happened in Kabul and what the consequences will be for the evacuation.

"Our priority remains the safety of our staff, British citizens and Afghans. We are in close contact with the United States and NATO allies regarding an urgent response to the incident," the ministry said in a statement. The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that there were two explosions in front of the airport, and that there were no injuries in the Turkish units.

"There were no injuries among the German soldiers either," Reuters reports, citing security sources.