A high-ranking defense official will pay tribute to Marines who endured a deadly suicide bombing during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the fifth anniversary of the attack that claimed the lives of American service members and Afghan civilians near Kabul’s airport. The ceremony comes as the tragic incident remains a defining moment of the hasty evacuation, where a coordinated assault struck outside the airport amid the final days of the U.S. military presence. Survivors and families of those lost will gather to reflect on the losses, while questions about security failures and the withdrawal’s execution continue to resonate. The event underscores the enduring impact of the bombing, which remains one of the deadliest attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan’s recent history.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday will honor the Marines who served during the 2021 Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan to mark five years since the deadly bombing. The Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing outside Kabul’s airport killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians as the U.S. carried out its swift withdrawal...
