Washington: US President Donald Trump marked the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in Afghanistan by honouring the 13 American service members killed and blaming the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from the country.
Trump proclaimed August 26, 2026, a day commemorating the attack at Kabul airport.
In a separate statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the withdrawal a “dark stain” on US history and pledged to seek answers for the American people.
At 5.36 p.m. on August 26, 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bomber entered a crowd at Abbey Gate and detonated an explosive vest. Thirteen American service members were killed, and 45 were wounded. More than 160 civilians were injured, according to the proclamation.
“As a Nation, it is our sacred duty to honour — with the deepest respect and reverence — the men and women in uniform who gave their lives that day, to remember all that was taken from their families, and to never forget their names,” Trump said.
The President named each of the fallen service members in the proclamation. They included Staff Sergeants Ryan C. Knauss and Darin T. Hoover; Sergeants Johanny Rosario Pichardo and Nicole L. Gee; Corporals Hunter Lopez, Daegan W. Page and Humberto A. Sanchez; and Lance Corporals David L. Espinoza, Jared M. Schmitz, Rylee J. McCollum, Dylan R. Merola and Kareem M. Nikoui.
Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak was also among those killed.
“On the fifth anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate, we solemnly honour their selflessness and valour,” Trump said.
The President used the anniversary proclamation to sharply criticise his predecessor, Joe Biden, over the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Yet within months, President Biden squandered those hard-fought gains, putting politics over strategy and rushing through a poorly executed withdrawal that would soon become one of the worst military disasters in our Nation’s history,” he said.
Trump said the July 2, 2021, withdrawal of US forces from Bagram Airfield surrendered America’s largest military base in Afghanistan and deprived the remaining troops of its strategic advantages as the Taliban advanced.
The Taliban later seized Bagram and freed thousands of people held in its prisons, the proclamation said. Kabul fell soon afterwards, forcing US troops to conduct a hurried evacuation from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Trump also said his administration had apprehended the ISIS-K terrorist responsible for the bombing and brought him to face American justice. The proclamation did not identify the suspect or provide details of the case.
“I will always stand by our service members, support our military families, and I will never allow the failures that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated,” Trump said.
Rubio said the anniversary was a time to remember both the American troops and Afghan civilians killed in the bombing.
“We stand with the Gold Star families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country,” he said. “Our prayers will forever remain with them and the 45 US service members who were injured during this terrible terrorist attack.”
“The Biden Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan remains a dark stain on our nation’s history,” Rubio said, adding that the Trump administration remained committed to honouring those killed and “providing the American people with the answers they deserve.”
The Abbey Gate bombing occurred during the final days of the US-led evacuation from Afghanistan. Large crowds had gathered outside Kabul airport as foreign governments sought to evacuate their citizens and eligible Afghans following the Taliban’s return to power.
(IANS)
