US Congress awards highest honour to 13 soldiers killed in Kabul airport bombing

Republicans have condemned Biden administration over soldiers' deaths as example of many failures of Afghanistan withdrawal

Family members of the the 13 US service members killed in Afghanistan in August 2021 attend the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the US Capitol in Washington. EPA

The US Congress on Tuesday awarded its highest honour, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the 13 soldiers killed at Kabul airport amid the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

“Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to these service members and those here today who are with them in Kabul,” Speaker Mike Johnson said during the ceremony. “We also owe them something deeper, and that is an apology to the families who are here.”

On August 26, 2021, as US forces tried to process and evacuate Afghan allies, an ISIS-linked suicide bomber blew himself up outside Abbey Gate, one of the entrances to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The explosion killed the 13 and about 170 Afghans, injuring many more.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer called on the politicians gathered to “ensure the sacrifices of all our service members were not in vain”.

“We must care for them and their families, and defend the values of freedom and democracy they so nobly fought for,” said Mr Schumer, a Democrat.

Republicans have condemned President Joe Biden's administration over the soldiers' deaths, saying they were one example of the many failures of the withdrawal.

Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Republicans on the House foreign affairs committee have been conducting interviews and holding hearings, seeking to undermine Mr Biden and blame his administration for the fallout from the withdrawal.

On Monday, the Republican members of the committee published a report blaming Mr Biden for the events surrounding the pull-out.

“I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them: 'We are sorry',” Mr Johnson said. “The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops. Those fallen and wounded at Abby Gate deserved our best efforts.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, alongside members of the victims' families, laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on the anniversary of the bombing.

Mr Trump was criticised for using the ceremony as a campaign event and for having pictures taken while standing on or near the graves of other veterans, without official permission.

The US Army also accused members of the Trump campaign team of harassing and shoving an official who was trying to enforce the cemetery rules.

The Trump campaign has denied that the incident occurred and claimed they had been given permission by the victims' family members to take the photos.