Narrow escape for 180 passengers of Delhi-bound SpiceJet plane in Kabul airport attack

Nearly 180 passengers and crew on board a Delhi-bound SpiceJet plane had narrow escaped when suicide bombers and militants firing mortars attacked Kabul's airport during a visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday.

Hours after Mattis touched down in Kabul, militants fired high explosive ammunition including mortar rounds near the main airport and detonated several suicide vests in an attack claimed by both the Taliban and Islamic State.

During the attack, SpiceJet's SG 22 Kabul-Delhi flight was preparing for taking off at the airport. "The boarding for SpiceJet flight SG 22 operating Kabul- Delhi was almost complete when the incident took place," reported PTI.

However, passengers and crew were safely deboarded and taken to the terminal building. There was no damage to the aircraft," a SpiceJet spokesperson said.

The Taliban has said on Twitter that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who was visiting Kabul, was the target of the attack.

SpiceJet operates five flights every week to Kabul.