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Version 6 Version 7
Save the Children Is Attacked in Afghanistan; ISIS Claims Responsibility Deadly ISIS Attack Hits Save the Children in Afghanistan
(about 2 hours later)
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Gunmen stormed the office of Save the Children in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad after an explosion on Wednesday morning, killing at least one person, officials said. Hours later, with fighting at the scene still underway, the aid agency said it had suspended all Afghanistan operations. JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Five Islamic State gunmen stormed the Save the Children office in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad after an explosion on Wednesday, killing five people and wounding dozens in a 10-hour siege, officials said. The assailants were killed.
“We remain committed to resuming our operations and lifesaving work as soon as possible,” Save the Children said in a statement. The agency, which provides aid in 120 countries, works in 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, and its programs reach more than 700,000 Afghan children, according to its website. Save the Children, a global charity that provides aid in 120 countries, said it had suspended all Afghanistan operations. It had been working in 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, reaching more than 700,000 children.
The Islamic State’s local affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the group’s Amaq news agency. “We remain committed to resuming our operations and lifesaving work as soon as possible,” Save the Children said in a statement.
Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province, which includes Jalalabad, said the gunmen entered the charity’s office after a suicide bombing in front of the building. The Islamic State’s local affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the group’s Amaq news agency. As the group’s foothold in eastern Afghanistan has come under pressure from sustained Afghan military operations and American air power, it has increasingly claimed urban attacks.
“I saw a white car arrive, then armed men rushed out of the car,” said a witness, Mohammed Waseem, 28. “After that a blast occurred, followed by gunfire. I had to run away to seek safety for myself.” Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province, which includes Jalalabad, said the gunmen entered the charity’s office at 9 a.m. after a suicide bombing in front of the building.
Later in the day, with fighting between militants and security forces still underway, Mr. Khogyani’s office said that one person had been killed and 20 wounded, but that most of the injuries were not severe. “I saw a white car arrive, then armed men rushed out of the car,” said a witness, Mohammed Waseem, 28. “After that, a blast occurred, followed by gunfire. I had to run away to seek safety for myself.”
There are at least two schools in the area where the attack occurred. Pictures circulating on social media showed children, some accompanied by adults and others on their own, running away from the scene. As is the case with many such urban attacks, there was initial confusion about the number of armed assailants. When the operation was declared over after 7 p.m., Mr. Khogyani said five had been involved and all were dead.
Mr. Khogyani said the victims included three Save the Children employees, one tailor across the street from the office and an Afghan commando; 24 others were wounded.
“We could have ended the operation in the morning and killed all the attackers, but there were more than 45 civilians and employees trapped inside,” said Mohammed Gulab Mangal, the province’s governor. “All those employees were rescued to safety.”
Bahadur Mushfiq, who works for Save the Children in Jalalabad, was among those trapped for hours inside in the office’s safe room.
“We heard a boom, and the gate of our office was blown away,” he said. “I don’t know the number of people who entered our office, but they had grenades and climbed upstairs.”
About 40 or 50 people were trapped in the room, he said, “but all of us got out safely except two people were slightly wounded.”
Officials said that the Jalalabad office of Save the Children shared a wall with another aid organization, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, and that the Swedish group’s staff had been evacuated.
There are at least two schools in the area. Pictures circulating on social media showed children, some accompanied by adults and others on their own, running away from the scene.
“This is an outrage,” Nicholas Kay, the British ambassador to Afghanistan, said on Twitter. “Any attack on children & humanitarians is a crime against humanity. I hope for a quick and safe end to this horrific incident in Jalalabad.”“This is an outrage,” Nicholas Kay, the British ambassador to Afghanistan, said on Twitter. “Any attack on children & humanitarians is a crime against humanity. I hope for a quick and safe end to this horrific incident in Jalalabad.”
Aid organizations have been targeted repeatedly in Afghanistan in recent years, forcing some of them to cut back their operations. The Red Cross recently closed its offices in two northern provinces and scaled back operations in a third regional hub after repeated attacks targeting its staff. In the latest episode, one of its physiotherapists was shot dead as she was assisting a polio patient. Aid organizations have been targeted repeatedly in Afghanistan in recent years, forcing some to cut back operations. The Red Cross recently closed offices in two northern provinces and scaled back operations in a third regional hub after repeated attacks targeting its staff. In the latest episode, one of its physiotherapists was fatally shot while assisting a polio patient.
After an attack last February, the Red Cross briefly suspended its operations nationwide, as Save the Children did on Wednesday. The pace of violence across Afghanistan has been relentless in recent weeks, with civilians bearing the brunt. On Saturday, the Taliban attacked a packed hotel in Kabul, killing at least 22 people and terrorizing much of the Afghan capital during nearly 15 hours of fighting.
About eight hours after the attack Wednesday began, gunfire was still being heard as police special forces tried to end the siege. Mr. Khogyani said four attackers were involved, though a security official put the number at three. The official said that two of the attackers had been killed, and that they believed one was still resisting in the aid agency’s offices.
Officials said that the Jalalabad office of Save the Children, which works on health and education issues, shares a wall with another aid organization, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, and that the Swedish group’s staff had been evacuated.
The pace of violence across Afghanistan has been relentless in recent weeks, with civilians bearing the brunt. On Saturday, the Taliban attacked a packed hotel in Kabul, killing at least 22 people and terrorizing much of the Afghan capital for nearly 15 hours of fighting.