NICOLA Sturgeon has condemned "dreadful" attacks in Kabul which have killed dozens of people.
As thousands of Afghans gathered outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport, two separate explosions were confirmed to have taken place today (August 26) at around 6pm local time.
It came after warnings that a terror attack could be launched on the airport as evacuation efforts are carried out.
One explosion is believed to have occurred at the Baron Hotel where British troops and journalists have been staying, followed by gunfire, while the other happened at the Abbey Gate entrance.
READ MORE: Several casualties reported in two explosions outside Kabul airport
At least 60 people were killed and 140 others wounded in the explosions, a senior health official has said.
Officials do not think at this stage that there were any UK casualties, military or civilian.
Eleven US marines and a navy medic were killed in the Kabul airport attack, US officials said.
Scotland's First Minister has condemned the attacks as compounding the "horror unfolding in Afghanistan" as she paid respect to those who were involved and working on the evacuation effort.
Sturgeon tweeted: "The dreadful attacks at Kabul airport today compound the horror unfolding in Afghanistan. My thoughts are with those bereaved and injured. We owe such a debt to our armed forces and others working against the clock to evacuate as many people as possible from this grim situation."
The dreadful attacks at Kabul airport today compound the horror unfolding in Afghanistan. My thoughts are with those bereaved and injured. We owe such a debt to our armed forces and others working against the clock to evacuate as many people as possible from this grim situation.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 26, 2021
Boris Johnson (below) has confirmed that the UK will continue evacuation efforts in Afghanistan despite the attacks.
Speaking following an emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon, the Prime Minister said the "threat of a terrorist attack" is something the UK has been ready and prepared for.
Johnson said: "I can confirm that there's been a barbaric terrorist attack in what looks like a series of attacks in Kabul on crowds at the airport in which members of the US military very sadly lost their lives and many Afghan casualties as well.
"We extend our condolences to the United States of America and to the people of Afghanistan. And look, I want to stress that this threat of a terrorist attack is one of the constraints that we've been operating under in Operation Pitting, in the big extraction that's been going on, and we've been ready for it, we've been prepared for it.
"I want to stress that we're going to continue with that operation. And we're now coming to towards the end of it, to the very end of it in any event, and we've already extracted the overwhelming majority of those under both the schemes - the eligible persons, the UK persons, UK nationals plus the Afghans, the interpreters, and others and it's been totally a phenomenal effort."
Asked if the terror attack was going to change anything about the UK's efforts, Johnson said: " I just chaired Cobra, and the conclusion is that we're able to continue with the programme in the way that we've been running it according to the timetable that we've got.
"That's what we're going to do because the overwhelming majority of those who are eligible, have now been extracted from Afghanistan, and we're going to work flat out.
"The military, the Foreign Office teams, the home office, the Border Force teams are there getting people through as fast as they can still, and we're going to keep going up until the last moment."
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