A group of armed men attacked Kabul University in Afghanistan on Monday morning, hours after a bomb went off in the city. Local media reported dozens of casualties on the ground.
Police surrounded the campus after a group of gunmen entered the university compound, Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian said. The gun battle between the security forces and the assailants has been raging for several hours.
Sources told the local TOLOnews channel that at least 20 people had been killed and more than 40 wounded. Officials have not yet confirmed the casualties, however.
According to TOLOnews, there were three attackers. The outlet said there had been an explosion and gunfire erupted as Afghan and Iranian officials were formally opening a book fair jointly organized by the two nations.
The outlet posted photos of students being evacuated from the campus.
A video from the scene shows people hastily walking down the street and then fleeing in panic as loud bangs are heard.
Video: Scenes from shooting at #Kabul University. #Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/x9lXRbis5t
A convoy of armored vehicles, which local media said belonged to “foreign forces,” was filmed moving towards Kabul.
Video: A convoy of armored vehicles apparently belonged to foreign forces are heading to #Kabul University after gunmen attack. #Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/0B6pqRcS1o
A Health Ministry spokesperson told 1TV that four people, including a lecturer at the university, had been hospitalized.
No militant group, including the Taliban, has as yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier in the morning, a bomb exploded in Kabul, wounding a security serviceman and a civilian.
Last week, an SUV rigged with explosives was blown up in a different part of the city, injuring three civilians.
In September, the UN envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, warned about the “near-record violence” that was taking place across the country, the talks between the Taliban and the Western-backed government in Kabul having stalled.
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