Kabul
Gunmen stormed Kabul University on Monday as it hosted a book fair attended by the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, sparking an hours-long gun battle and leaving at least 19 dead and 22 wounded at the war-torn country’s largest educational institution.
The ministry’s spokesman, Tariq Arian, said there were three attackers involved in the assault, all of whom were killed in the ensuing firefight. As the sun slowly set over the Afghan capital, there were few other details though the Taliban issued a statement denying they took part in the assault.
Five hours into the fighting, sporadic grenade explosions and automatic weapons fire echoed down the empty streets surrounding the university’s fenced compound. Afghan troops stood guard. Earlier, students were seen fleeing for their lives from the site.
Ahmad Samim, a university student, told journalists he saw militants armed with pistols and Kalashnikov assault rifles firing at the school, the country’s oldest with some 17,000 students. He said the attack happened at the university’s eastern side where its law and journalism faculty teach. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Foreign Office condemned the “mindless attack” on the varsity. “This act of terrorism is particularly despicable as it targeted an institution of learning,” the FO said in a statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those wounded. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the Afghan people in this hour of grief and sorrow,” the statement said.
