KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) — At least 12 people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said early on Thursday (August 25), before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead.
The attack began at around 6:30 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Wednesday (August 24) with a large explosion that officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants forced their way into the complex where foreign staff and pupils were working.
Elite Afghan forces surrounded the walled compound and eventually got inside, according to a senior interior ministry official.
Kabul’s police chief said seven students, three policemen and two security guards were killed during the attack, the second incident involving the university this month.
Sporadic gunfire could be heard through the night and, before dawn, police said the operation had concluded.
“A car suicide bomber blew up the western wall of the American Afghan university yesterday evening. Following the explosion two other attackers entered the university building. Our security forces, especially the emergency forces, immediately took action and fortunately our forces managed to rescue nearly 750 student in the early hours and save their lives.” police official Fridoon Obidi said.
Ahmad Hussin, a student at the university described what happened.
“We were at the gym inside the university when the attack took place, there is a safe room inside the men’s fitness club. We all stayed there until 1:30am then the security forces came in and rescued us,” Ahmad Hussin said.
The Afghan Public Health Ministry said no foreigners were reported among the wounded.
Islamist militant groups, mainly the Afghan Taliban and a local offshoot of Islamic State, have claimed a string of recent bomb attacks aimed at destabilising Afghanistan and toppling the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.
No-one has claimed responsibility for the university raid.
It was the second time this month that the university or its staff had been targeted. Two teachers, an American and an Australian, are still missing after being abducted at gunpoint from a road nearby on August 7.
The American University of Afghanistan has about 1,700 students and advertises itself as the country’s only not-for-profit, non-partisan, co-educational university. It opened in 2006 and caters to full-time and part-time students.