


President Donald Trump met with the Gold Star families of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing and signed a proclamation honoring the service members’ sacrifices on Monday, a day before the fourth anniversary of the devastating bombing.
“As our Nation solemnly marks four years since the attack at Abbey Gate, we honor the memory of the 13 brave souls and every military service member to ever die in the line of duty — and we renew our resolve to protect American lives, defend American interests, and uphold American sovereignty,” Trump’s proclamation said.
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An ISIS-K bomber detonated a suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, which is on the outskirts of Hamid Karzai International Airport, on Aug. 26, 2021. U.S. and allied troops were evacuating people amid the Taliban’s rise to power, as the U.S. military’s mission in Afghanistan was weeks from ending. Thirteen U.S. service members and about 170 civilians were killed in the blast.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was also in the Oval Office for the meeting on Monday afternoon.
In May, Hegseth ordered a new investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal. However, it’s unclear how the review would differ from the ones the military has already done.
“I would anticipate middle of 2026, that’s how thorough of a review we’re doing,” Hegseth said. “Hopefully a little sooner, but we’re going into everything to get an understanding of what happened.”
Abdul Rahman al Logari was identified as the Abbey Gate bomber. Logari was aided by Mohammad Sharifullah, who was captured by Pakistani authorities and extradited to the United States in March 2025.
HEGSETH: PENTAGON DOING ‘COMPLETE REVIEW’ OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL
The U.S. service members killed in the bombing included 11 Marines: Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, 20; Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23; Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, 31; Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20; Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20; Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20; Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23; Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25; Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22; and Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, 20.
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23, and Navy Hospital Corpsman Maxton Soviak, 22, were also killed.