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A30 world news
Diamars 3 November 2020

IS attack on Afghan university leaves 22 dead, 22 wounded

(AP) — Islamic State born babies and mothers.
militants in Afghanistan Schools have also been tar-
stormed Kabul University geted in past attacks. Last year,
on Monday as it hosted a bomb outside of the Kabul
a book fair attended by University's gates killed eight
the Iranian ambassador, people. In 2016, gunmen at-
sparking an hours-long tacked the American Univer-
gun battle and leaving sity in Kabul, killing 13.
at least 22 dead and 22
wounded at the war-torn Violence has been relentless
country's largest school. even as the talks in Qatar to
end more than four decades
Most of the casualties were of war in Afghanistan have
students and there were fears been painfully slow and de-
the death toll could climb spite repeated demands for a
further with some of the reduction in violence.
wounded said to be in critical The U.S.-Taliban deal in Feb-
condition. ruary allowed for the with-
drawal of U.S. and NATO
It was the second attack on an troops from Afghanistan and
educational institution in Ka- set the stage for the talks un-
bul in as many weeks. derway in Doha.
The Taliban promptly is-
sued a statement denying The architect of Washington’s
they took part in the assault, agreement with the Taliban,
which came as the insurgents ers on Oct. 24. students. He said the attack Zalmay Khalilzad, returned
continue peace talks with The Islamic State group said happened at the university's last week to the region, cit-
representatives of Kabul's it targeted newly graduated The peace negotiations be- eastern side, where its law ing deep disappointment at
U.S.-backed government, “judges and investigators be- tween the Taliban and the and journalism faculty teach. the escalating violence in
with the aim to help the longing to the apostate Af- Kabul government, known as Afghan media reported that Afghanistan. On Monday,
United States finally with- ghan government" gathered intra-Afghan talks, were part a book exhibition was being Khalilzad was in neighboring
draw from Afghanistan. Later at the campus, according to of a deal Washington signed held at the university and at- Pakistan, where he met with
in the day, the Islamic State the SITE Intelligence Group, with the insurgents in Feb- tended by a number of dig- the powerful army chief. Few
group claimed responsibility which monitors terror online ruary. They are taking place nitaries at the time of the details of the meeting have
for the attack. messaging. in the Gulf Arab state of Qa- shooting. None of the digni- been released but it is widely
tar, and are seen as Afghani- taries were reported hurt. believed Khalilzad was press-
As the attack unfolded, stu- The IS statement claimed stan's best chance at peace — While Afghan officials de- ing for Pakistan’s help to
dents and teachers were seen only two of its fighters were though daily bloodshed has clined to discuss the book- push the Taliban to agree to a
fleeing the part of the cam- involved, and posted their continued. fair, Iran's semiofficial ISNA reduction in violence.
pus where law and journal- photographs, which conflict- news agency reported Sun-
ism schools are located, while ed with the Afghan authori- Five hours into the fighting day that Iranian Ambassador Even though their politi-
hand grenades exploded and ties' report of three attackers. on Monday, sporadic grenade Bahador Aminian and cul- cal office is based in Qatar,
automatic rifle fire could be The claim did not indicate explosions and automatic tural attaché Mojtaba No- Taliban leadership councils
heard. Scores of Afghan spe- the IS intended to target the weapons fire still echoed roozi were to inaugurate the are located in Pakistan, with
cial forces surrounded the Iranian envoy or the book down the empty streets sur- fair, which was hosting some Islamabad being critical to
campus, shepherding teach- fair. rounding the university's 40 Iranian publishers. Iranian pressing the insurgents into
ers and students to safety. fenced compound. Afghan state television reported that peace talks.
Last week, IS also claimed a troops stood guard. Ahmad the attack occurred, but did Though Khalilzad and the
The chaos subsided as the brutal assault on a tutoring Samim, a university student, not offer information on its Afghan government have
sun set over the Afghan capi- center in the Afghan capi- told journalists he saw mili- officials. been calling for a cease-fire
tal and the Interior Ministry’s tal's mostly Shiite neighbor- tants armed with pistols and or at the very least a reduc-
spokesman, Tariq Arian, said hood of Dasht-e-Barchi that Kalashnikov assault rifles fir- Iranian diplomats have been tion in violence, the Taliban
all three attackers involved in killed at least 24 students and ing at the school, the coun- targeted previously in Af- have refused a truce, saying
the assault were killed. wounded more than 100 oth- try's oldest with some 17,000 ghanistan, incidents that dan- a permanent end to fighting
gerously escalated tensions would be part of the negotia-
between the two countries. tions.
In 1998, Iran held the Taliban
responsible for the deaths of Pakistan's foreign ministry
nine Iranian diplomats work- condemned Monday's attack
ing in its consulate in north- in Kabul, calling it an “act of
ern Afghanistan, and sent re- terrorism” that was particu-
inforcements to the 950-ki- larly “despicable as it targeted
lometer- (580-mile-) long an institution of learning."
Iran-Afghan border. Last week, a suicide bomber
attacked a religious school
The IS affiliate in Afghani- in Pakistan’s northwest on
stan has declared war on the the border with Afghanistan,
country's minority Shiite killing eight students and
Muslims and staged dozens wounding more than 120.
of attacks since emerging in
the region in 2014. A horrific Also on Monday, a vehicle hit
attack earlier this year on a a roadside mine in Afghani-
Kabul maternity hospital — stan's southern Helmand
also in the Dasht-e-Barchi province, killing at least sev-
neighborhood — was blamed en civilians, most of them
on the Islamic State group. In women and children, pro-
that attack, militants killed 25 vincial governor spokesman
people, many of them new- Omer Zwak said.