A militant attack that began on Saturday morning at a training centre for midwives in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad has ended after over six hours, TOLONews
reported. At least two staff members of the centre were killed, and five were wounded. All the attackers were either killed or wounded, officials said.
The attack started at around 11.30 am (12.30 pm Indian time), provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said. Security forces were able to regain control of the compound around 6 pm.
Multiple explosions were heard at the site throughout the attack. The attackers set off explosives and fired gunshots at the centre, according to the BBC. Most of the about 70 employees and students who were in the compound when the attack began had managed to escape.
“The Afghan security forces have cordoned off the area and [have] launched an operation to gun down the attackers,” Khogyani had said when the attack was going on. He had called it a terrorist attack.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Sporadic gunfire could be heard and smoke was seen coming out of the centre, reports said. An eyewitness told AFP that the attackers seemed to have placed explosive devices in the street near the building.
The attack comes days after at least 11 people were killed in an explosion within minutes of Afghanistan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum’s return to Kabul after a year and a half in exile in Turkey. The attack, which took place on July 22, is believed to be a suicide bomb attack.
On July 11, militants attacked an education department building in Jalalabad, killing 10 people.
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