Kabul University attack- 20 students and professors killed several injured

 Attacks on the education institutions in Afghanistan are on the rise in recent period

At least 20 people, including students and professors, got killed  during the gunfire that erupted at Kabul University in the Afghan capital on Monday afternoon. The Afghanistan Police have surrounded the area, said authorities.

Students of the Kabul University escaped a compound, with many climbing the boundary walls, after at least three assailants stormed the varsity, the Afghan Tolo News said, citing sources, with the attack coming as several senior government officials were expected to attend the opening of an Iranian book fair.

According to Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian, the gunfire was still on. "The enemies of Afghanistan, the enemies of education... have entered Kabul University," said Arian while talking to reporters.

"The security forces are in the area trying to control the situation. They are advancing carefully to prevent any harm to the students," he added. Local television stations such as Tolo and Ariana said the Kabul University was hosting a joint Afghan-Iranian book fair when the incident occurred.

                                                

Meanwhile, Ariana mentioned Kabul University professor Zabiullah Haidari as saying that classes were underway when the shooting began, adding varsity officials and security personnel helped students evacuate the campus. Meanwhile, roads leading to the campus have been blocked.

No group has taken responsibility for the ongoing attack so far. Notably, the Taliban has issued a statement, denying their involvement.

Last year, eight people were killed in an explosion outside the Kabul University campus' gate. In 2016, the American University in Kabul had come under attack, leading to the death of 13 people.

In October 2020, the Islamic State (IS) had claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on an educational centre in Kabul's Shi'ite dominated Neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi in which at least 24 people, mostly students, were killed. 

Students of the Kabul University escaped a compound, with many climbing the boundary walls, after at least three assailants stormed the varsity, the Afghan Tolo News said, citing sources, with the attack coming as several senior government officials were expected to attend the opening of an Iranian book fair.

Authorities have reached the attack scene, cordoning off the area and blocking all roads towards the university.

The students who witnessed the attack spoke of chaos and confusion as gunfire erupted. "We were studying inside our classrooms when suddenly we heard a burst of gunfire inside the university," said Fraidoon Ahmadi, 23.

"Some university students have fled... it is chaotic and students are terrified," he added, noting that he and several other students were besieged for more than two hours before being rescued.

A member of Afghanistan’s Parliament, Mariam Sulaimankhel, shared a video from the scene, the incident terming it "a disgusting terrorist attack" and asking why the attacks "want to discourage the younger generation from educating themselves?"

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