Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato holds a press conference in Tokyo on Aug. 27, 2021. (Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will seek to evacuate its nationals and local staff at its embassy and other Japanese entities from Afghanistan in cooperation with other countries, the top government spokesman said Friday after two explosions near the airport in Kabul left more than 70 dead and at least 140 others injured.

       Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said he has not received any report of deaths or injuries among Japanese nationals and local staff after what are believed to have been suicide bombings outside the airport.

       "The situation is fluid and unpredictable, but we would like to continue making efforts to realize the safe evacuation of the people concerned while working closely with the United States and other countries involved and paying close attention to the safety of our country's personnel dispatched to Kabul airport," he said at a regular news conference.

       "Japan fiercely condemns terrorism in any form or for any purpose," he added.

       Following the Taliban's recent seizure of power in the war-torn country, Japan has sent three Self-Defense Forces transport planes to Islamabad in neighboring Pakistan to use as an operational base for the evacuations from Kabul.

       It has also dispatched about 10 personnel from the defense and foreign ministries to Kabul to coordinate with U.S. forces over the evacuation mission.

       An SDF plane has landed several times in Kabul but so far been unable to pick up any Japanese or local staff. According to a diplomatic source, up to about 500 people are due to be evacuated from Afghanistan, including local staff of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

       Despite the blasts, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi suggested the SDF can still transport people, saying U.S. forces have secured the safety of the airport itself.

       The blasts left 13 U.S. military service members dead and 18 injured, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility. U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to hold those responsible for the attacks accountable, saying, "We will hunt you down and make you pay."

       The blasts, believed to be suicide bombings by a local Islamic State group affiliate called ISIS-K, took place just days ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

       Japan and other countries have been rushing to evacuate their citizens. France, Germany and other European countries as well as Canada announced the termination of their missions on Thursday due to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

       Japan had been seeking to end the evacuation by Friday, with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi having said recently that it would be hard to conduct airlifts after Aug. 31 when the United States pulls out its troops.

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