What to Know
- Philadelphia International Airport will be the second airport in the nation to receive evacuees from Afghanistan.
- A spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office confirmed that Philly International will receive Afghan evacuees but did not confirm the timing or the amount of people.
- The arrivals will come after at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops were killed during bombings in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Philadelphia International Airport will be the second airport in the nation to receive evacuees from Afghanistan.
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported Thursday that two planes, each carrying 200 to 300 people, could land at PHL as early as Friday or Saturday.
A spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office confirmed that Philly International will receive Afghan evacuees but did not confirm the timing or the amount of people.
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“This is a federal-led operation, and we are collaborating with the federal government in this emergency response, protecting the rights and dignity of the Afghan families arriving in the country,” the spokeswoman said. “We stand ready to provide medical assistance, housing, and connection to our diverse community of immigrant service providers who can assist with an array of social services.”
Philly International will be the second airport in the nation to receive arrivals from Afghanistan as part of the operation. Dulles International Airport in Virginia was the first.
“Philadelphia stands in solidarity with Afghan refugees and we look forward to providing them a safe haven in our Welcoming City,” Mayor Jim Kenney wrote in a statement.
The arrivals will come after at least dozens of Afghans and at least 13 U.S. troops were killed during a bombing in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Officials said a suicide bomber attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the killings on its Amaq news channel. The Taliban were not believed to have been involved in the attacks and condemned the blasts.
President Joe Biden said the latest bloodshed would not drive the U.S. out of Afghanistan earlier than scheduled, and that he had instructed the U.S. military to develop plans to strike IS.
