UPDATE 2 - Death toll from terror attacks outside Kabul airport hits 170

UPDATES DEATH TOLL; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS MORE DETAILS; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Saadet Firdevs Apan, Gozde Bayar, and Emel Oz

ANKARA (AA) - The death toll from Thursday's explosions in the Afghan capital Kabul claimed by the terror group Daesh/ISIS-K reached 170 on Friday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his one-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo, said the death toll hit 170.

Most of those killed in the attacks were Afghans, according to an official from the Afghan Health Ministry.

BBC reported that more than 150 people were injured in the attacks.

Thousands of people are waiting at the airport for evacuation, and large crowds have gathered outside the airport grounds, seeking a way inside to get a flight out.

A second batch of Turkish troops, evacuated from the Afghan capital Kabul, arrived at the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday.

- US, Taliban deaths

The victims of Thursday’s attack included 13 US soldiers, plus over a dozen injured, according to the Pentagon.

"We lost more people than the Americans," said an unnamed official of the Taliban, the group which took control of the city excepting the airport on Aug. 15, adding that 28 Taliban members lost their lives.

He reiterated that the US does not need to extend the Aug. 31 deadline to complete its evacuation and withdrawal.

An anonymous Western security official said that the evacuation of civilians from the airport accelerated after the attacks, and flights were carried out regularly.

Many countries worldwide as well as the Taliban condemned the attacks.

On Thursday, Turkey condemned the terror attacks and said there had been no casualties among Turkish troops at the airport.

US President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that the attacks were carried out by the ISIS-K terrorist group, the Afghan affiliate of Daesh/ISIS, and promised to respond with "force and precision."

Daesh/ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to a statement by the group.

US forces are in control of the airport as evacuations continue – the only area of the country still under US control.

The White House on Friday also noted that its national security team warned Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of the possibility of further terrorist attacks in Kabul.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara