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Former President Barack Obama said Friday he was left "heartbroken" following Thursday's bombing in Kabul that killed more than 100 people, including 13 service members from the United States.

The attack outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport killed at least 95 Afghans. Eleven Marines and one Navy medic were among the 13 service members killed, with 15 more U.S. personnel injured. The bombing came as the Taliban's recent takeover of the Afghan government has prompted hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens and Afghans who worked with the U.S. military over the last two decades to attempt to flee the country.

"Like so many of you, Michelle and I were heartbroken to hear about the terrorist attack outside the Kabul airport," Obama tweeted. "As president, nothing was more painful than grieving with the loved ones of Americans who gave their lives serving our country."

Obama also extended his condolences toward the families of the Afghans killed, "many of whom stood by America and were willing to risk everything for a chance at a better life."

PENTAGON WALKS BACK REPORTS OF SECOND EXPLOSION IN KABUL

President Joe Biden said he is committed to removing any remaining U.S. citizens in Afghanistan and punish those responsible for the attack. On Thursday, he warned the Islamic State, which is believed to have carried out the attack, that the U.S. will "hunt you down and make you pay."

Obama and Biden disagreed on Afghanistan policy during the former's presidency. Biden voiced caution against sending more troops to the region before Obama's 2009 decision to increase U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. Biden argued at the time that the Pentagon's plan was too broad and expensive.

"The estimates of the cost of this war over the last 20 years ranged from a minimum of $1 trillion to a think tank at one of the universities saying $2 trillion," Biden said last week.

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The U.S. is ramping up its efforts to evacuate as many citizens and eligible Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas before Tuesday's hard deadline for the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Countries such as Spain and Poland have already ended their evacuation missions from the region, and forces from the United Kingdom are preparing to end their mission on Friday.

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Tags: News, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Foreign Policy, National Security

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: Obama says he is 'heartbroken' following terror attack in Kabul

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