Attack on American University in Afghanistan leaves 12 dead

Kabul, Aug 25 (AP) A brazen, hours-long militant attack onthe American University of Afghanistan ended early today afterat least 12 people were killed and dozens were wounded in theassault on the sprawling campus on Kabul’s outskirts, agovernment spokesman said. The attack underscored how despite efforts by the Afghanauthorities to improve security, militants in this country arestill able to stage large-scale attacks, including in thecountry’s capital, Kabul. The dead included seven students, according to InteriorMinistry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. Three police officers andtwo security guards were also killed, the ministry said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assaultbut suspicion is likely to fall on the Taliban. The group’sspokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, would only tell the media thatthe Taliban are "investigating." "Most of the dead were killed by gunshots near the windowsof their classrooms," Sediqqi said. The ministry statementsaid that 36 people were wounded, including nine policeofficers. The assault began just before 7 pm yesterday – a time whenhundreds of students typically attend evening classes at theprestigious university – with a suicide car bombing at theuniversity’s entrance. The blast breached the security walls and allowed twoother "terrorists," beside the driver of the vehicle, to enterthe campus, Sediqqi said. They were armed with grenades and automatic weapons. Thesiege of the university lasted almost nine hours, beforepolice killed the two assailants around 3.30 am, he added. More than 200 people, mostly students who had been trappedin university buildings were rescued by special police units.Earlier, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said oneforeign teacher was among the wounded. President Ashraf Ghani’s office said he had visited someof the wounded in hospital on Thursday morning and had alsoextended condolences to the victims’ families. Ghani condemned the assault as an "attack on educationinstitutions and public places" and said it would "strengthour goal to eliminate the roots of terrorism." The university, located on the western edge of Kabul, wasestablished in 2006 to offer liberal arts courses modeled onthe US system, and has more than 1,000 students currentlyenrolled. It was not immediately clear what plans the university hasfor enhanced security or when it would reopen, as facultyleaders could not immediately be reached for comment. (AP)ABH