7 killed, 32 injured in attack on American Universtiy of Afghanistan

Seven people were killed and 32 injured after a car bombing and ensuing gun shoots rocked a private college in western Afghan capital of Kabul on Wednesday evening, a senior police official said Thursday.

At least seven people were killed, including one student, three policemen and all the three attackers, and 32 injured including nine policemen, about 700 students have been rescued, Abdul Rahman Rahimi, Chief of Kabul police, told reporters on the site early Thursday.

The gunfire ended at around 06:30 a.m. local time on Tursday, lasting roughly 10 hours.

"The terrorists attacked American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), by a suicide car bombing followed by gunmen firing on security guards and students, " a security source told Xinhua anonymously.

"About three attackers were involved in the incident. One attacker destroyed the building's perimeter by a car bombing to open the way for the second squad of gunmen," the source said.

The targeted building is located along the four-line Dar-ul-Aman road which leads to the parliament building. At least three female students were among the injured, resident Mohammad Salim told Xinhua on Wednesday evening.

"The blast caused panic among the people. Several students were trapped inside safe-rooms at the building during the clashes. As we heard the AUAF was threaten by Taliban militants over the past couple of years. Two AUAF teachers were kidnapped a couple of weeks ago. They are still missing," Salim said.

The students mostly working in NGOs and government offices were arriving for evening classes before the attack took place, he said.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has condemned the attack Wednesday evening.

"I condemn this coward attack on AUAF. Attacking schools, universities and innocent people is a war crime. We cannot bear it," he tweeted.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

About 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,560 others wounded in conflict-related violence and Taliban-led attacks in first half of the year, according to UN mission officials in the country.

Source : QNA