Kabul, Aug 26 (TIWN) A blast rocked the Kabul airport, which is thronged by crowds of desperate Afghans seeking to flee the country after the Taliban takeover, on Thursday, causing numerous casualties, including US personnel.

Update 12:21 p.m. ET:  Although U.S. forces have suffered casualties, there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities among British soldiers or government officials, the British defense ministry said.. The ministry statement did not mention whether any British civilian trying to leave Afghanistan was hurt or killed.  Update 11:55 a.m.:  The number of patients taken to Emergency, a highly respected trauma center in Kabul, is now around 60. In an earlier tweet, the nongovernmental organization said "6 others already dead on arrival."  This means the casualty count from the explosion is at least 60 wounded and at least 6 dead. U.S. officials earlier confirmed that three U.S. Marines were injured in the explosions.

The explosion outside the Kabul airport is "definitely believed" to have been carried out by the Islamic State group, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Thursday attacks were carried out by two suicide bombers and gunmen.