At least 16 people have been killed in an attack in which three militants stormed a maternity hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and set off an hours-long shootout with police, officials say.
The attack occurred at a maternity hospital in the Dasht-e-Barchi area, a mostly Shia neighborhood, in western Kabul on Tuesday and claimed the lives of at least 16 individuals, including two newborn babies and their mothers, Afghan officials said.
Images shared by Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry showed Afghan security forces trying to evacuate the 100-bed hospital, carrying out babies and frantic mothers, while the shootout was underway.
Security forces managed to rescue more than 100 people, including many children, trapped in the facility before the attack was over, said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the ministry, adding that at least 15 others, including women and children, were wounded in the incident.
“The forces are trying to eliminate the terrorists and bring the situation under control,” said Arian while a firefight was ongoing, describing the attack as an “act against humanity and a war crime.”
Tolo News, citing an unnamed security source, said that there was a guest house, mostly used by foreign nationals, just behind the hospital and the militants were trying to reach there through the hospital. It added that at least two explosions were heard at the site.
In a statement released later in the day, the Afghan Interior Ministry said all the three attackers were dead and that the attack was over.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. But in a statement after the attack, the Taliban said they had nothing to do with it.
Separately on Tuesday, another terror attack killed or wounded at least 47 people in eastern Nangarhar Province, a hotbed of Daesh terrorists.
According to Nangarhar governor’s office, the attack occurred when a terrorist detonated an explosive vest in a funeral ceremony.
The explosion killed 17 people and wounded at least 30 others, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesperson for the provincial government.
However, a report by the Associated Press said 21 had been killed and 55 others wounded.
No individual or group immediately took responsibility for the attack.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
