2 journalists, 2 athletes among victims of Kabul airport explosion

Two journalists, including a female TV anchor and two athletes, were killed in a deadly explosion at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

Citing an independent Afghan media group Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), Xinhua reported on Sunday that Ali Reza Ahmadi, a reporter for Raha News Agency and Najma Sadeqi, former presenter at Jahan-e-Sihat TV channel were killed in Thursday's airport attack.

Two Afghan national-level athletes - Mohammad Jan Sultani in taekwondo and Idrees in wushu - among those killed in Kabul airport attack, reported 1TVNewsAF.

At least 170 Afghans and 13 US soldiers were killed and about 200 people wounded in the suicide blast that hit an eastern airport gate when huge crowds were waiting for evacuation flights, reported Xinhua.

The victims have mostly been women and children and Islamic State- Khorasan (ISIS-K), a local affiliate of the Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Over 100 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan in the past two decades, making the Asian country one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Meanwhile, thousands of Afghan nationals are camped outside the perimeter of the airport in desperate attempts to escape on the last flights out as the Taliban deadline of August 31 approaches.

( With inputs from ANI )

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