Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, confirmed to reporters that 12 U.S. service members were killed and 15 others were injured. Numerous Afghan civilians were also killed and injured by the blasts, which were determined to be carried out by ISIS fighters, McKenzie said.

President Biden, speaking from the White House, later said that another service member had died as a result of the explosion, pushing the number to 13.

It was the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in roughly a decade. At least 60 Afghan civilians also died and 140 more were injured in Thursday’s bombings, for which ISIS later claimed responsibility.

A dangerous mission: “We have put more than 5,000 U.S. service members at risk to save as many civilians as we can. It’s a noble mission, and today we have seen firsthand how dangerous that mission is,” McKenzie said. “ISIS will not deter us from accomplishing the mission. I assure you of that.”

Where the explosions happened: One of the explosions took place just outside one of the gates at Hamid Karzai International Airport where U.S. personnel are processing individuals before boarding evacuation flights. A second explosion took place near the Barton Hotel, which is directly adjacent to the airfield.

“The attack on the Abby gate was followed by a number of ISIS gunmen who opened fire on civilians and military forces,” McKenzie said.

How it happened: He explained U.S. forces processing individuals just outside the airport had to be able to physically touch those seeking access for safety purposes, increasing the risk for U.S. forces on the front lines to potential terrorist attacks.

The “working assumption” is the suicide bomber was being searched by troops at the gate when they detonated their explosives, he said.

ONGOING THREATS

McKenzie said that the ongoing threat from ISIS is “extremely real” and Defense officials “believe it is their desire to continue those attacks and we expect those attacks to continue and we’re doing everything we can to prepare for those attacks.”

In the next several hours, he added, the focus will be on preventing further casualties as “typically, the pattern is multiple attacks, and we want to be prepared.” Such threats could be “imminent” and might include rocket attacks, vehicle attacks or another vest-wearing suicide bomber.

Prevention efforts: In an effort to mitigate further casualties, McKenzie said U.S. forces have reached out to the Taliban to widen the security perimeter and close roads around the airport to prevent any vehicle explosions.

Taliban checkpoints on the way to the airport have been providing what McKenzie said was an “outer security cordon around the airfield.”

No change to evacuations: He also indicated the attacks would not alter the ongoing evacuation mission, which as of Thursday was still set to conclude on Aug. 31.

“We continue to focus on the protection of our forces and the evacuees as the evacuation continues. While we’re saddened by the loss of life, both U.S. and Afghan, we’re continuing to execute the mission,” McKenzie said.

And no additional troops: But no additional troops will be sent into the country as “we assess we have the forces we need to protect ourselves there.”

About 5,400 U.S. troops are in Kabul to help evacuate roughly 1,000 Americans still left in Afghanistan, as well as tens of thousands more vulnerable Afghans seeking to flee the Taliban’s harsh rule.

BIDEN STICKS TO DEADLINE, WITHDRAWAL

President Biden on Thursday said the U.S. would carry out its plans to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of the month in the aftermath of bombings that killed a dozen Americans, while vowing to carry out strikes against the group responsible for the attacks.

“We can and we must complete this mission and we will,” Biden said in prepared remarks from the East Room of the White House. “And that’s what I’ve ordered them to do. We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission. We will continue the evacuation.”

Asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy if he still stands by his decision to withdraw U.S. forces, Biden responded, “Yes, I do.”

US to target ISIS-K: Biden said the U.S. would target facilities of ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State that operates out of South and Central Asia, “at the place we choose, in a moment of our choosing.”

“We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said, addressing those responsible for Thursday’s bombings.

Attention shifted: Thursday’s violence scrambled the White House’s posture on the ongoing evacuation. Officials had in recent days sought to focus attention on rapidly escalating efforts to evacuate Americans and Afghan civilians who aided the U.S. war effort or who were considered vulnerable populations under Taliban rule.

How many have gotten out?: The U.S. has evacuated more than 100,000 people from Afghanistan since the end of July. The State Department said earlier Thursday there were roughly 1,000 Americans remaining in the country, roughly 700 of which are taking steps to leave.

“We will complete our mission, and we will continue after our troops have withdrawn, to find means by which we can find any American who wishes to get out of Afghanistan. We will find them, and we will get them out,” Biden said.