At least one student confirmed dead in gun attack on American University in Kabul

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At least one student confirmed dead in gun attack on American University in Kabul

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Mohammad Saleem Rasouly, the head of Kabul’s hospitals, has confirmed one student has died and at least 14 have been wounded in an ongoing attack on the American University of Afghanistan.

 

An Afghan Interior Ministry official and several on campus have described a gun attack. Explosions and further bursts of gunfire have also been reported.

 

Police claim at least a hundred students have so far been able to escape. But many people are said to be barricaded inside, among them foreign professors and hundreds of students.

 

Police say the attack is “complex.” An officer on the scene is quoted as saying a car bomb was detonated in front of a nearby school for the blind. Attackers reportedly entered that building and began firing at the American University from there.

 

A photographer for The Associated Press who was attending a class on campus at the time told the agency the first explosion he heard was on the southern flank of the university site.

 

Massoud Hossaini said he looked out of the classroom window where he saw a person in plain clothes who shot at him, shattering the glass.

 

Hossaini and his 15 fellow students were later able to escape.

 

Security forces cordoned off the area shortly after the attack began.

 

It is the second time this month that the university or its staff have been targeted.

 

Two teachers, an American and an Australian, remain missing after being abducted at gunpoint from a road nearby on August 7th.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-25

[captspectre]

an American university in Kabul? that's like putting a KKK college in Atlanta Georgia! what the hell is going thru the students minds going to a university in a war zone that hates westerners especially Americans? do they have a death wish? it will come true! if the parents have half a brain they will get those stupid kids outiof there post haste! but not counting on it. I guess every country has to have some idiots with a "charlie" tuna mentality!

Edited August 25, 2016 by captspectre

[JingerBen]

The BBC is reporting 13 dead in this incident.

[JingerBen]

15 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

The BBC is reporting 13 dead in this incident.

...and Jason Ditz at Antiwar.com says "At least 15."

[PTC]

2 hours ago, captspectre said:

an American university in Kabul? that's like putting a KKK college in Atlanta Georgia! what the hell is going thru the students minds going to a university in a war zone that hates westerners especially Americans? do they have a death wish? it will come true! if the parents have half a brain they will get those stupid kids outiof there post haste! but not counting on it. I guess every country has to have some idiots with a "charlie" tuna mentality!

 

Do you claim Afghans hate Americans? Kabul is not a war zone. Afghanistan is experiencing an insurgency that was largely under control until external forces intervened. The US is extending and expanding its military commitment to Afghanistan and USAID has been a significant contributor to economic development there. Many officials now working in Afghan Ministries studied at AUK which attempts to provide international standard tertiary education to Afghan students.

 

The recent kidnapping of two foreign teaching staff and this current incident demonstrates the need to upgrade security for staff and students.

 

Many Afghan people know the contribution of the international community to trying to establish long term peace and security. Education will play a big part of the process.

[ChoakMyDee]

It boggles my mind that any foreigner would think it safe to teach there.

[captspectre]

4 hours ago, PTC said:

 

Do you claim Afghans hate Americans? Kabul is not a war zone. Afghanistan is experiencing an insurgency that was largely under control until external forces intervened. The US is extending and expanding its military commitment to Afghanistan and USAID has been a significant contributor to economic development there. Many officials now working in Afghan Ministries studied at AUK which attempts to provide international standard tertiary education to Afghan students.

 

The recent kidnapping of two foreign teaching staff and this current incident demonstrates the need to upgrade security for staff and students.

 

Many Afghan people know the contribution of the international community to trying to establish long term peace and security. Education will play a big part of the process.

afgans don't hate Americans ISIS hates Americans dufus! and the country is still not safe with all the killing and kidnapping going on> it is a war zone and kabul proves it! all the security in the world will not stop an isis idiot from blowing up innocent civilians. if it is not so than why don't you go there for a month and see what happens!

[PTC]

I just returned from Kabul last weekend. My fifth trip this year. I work alongside officials at the Ministry of Finance who studied at AUK. I was out near the AUK on Darulaman Road last week at the Ministry of Commerce. So I have been there and will continue to go there as long as my project continues. It is not a war zone. I have worked in Iraq. I am about to start a new project in Palestine. I am familiar with security procedures for post conflict environments. I take sound and real security precautions at significant expense. I endure security procedures at great imposition on my time, patience and ability to be productive. I am fortunate that the people I work for accept the financial responsibility in providing duty of care and I have access to effective security measures. The staff and students at AUK did not. This is something for AUK to deal with.

 

You have no idea whether the perpetrators of this attack are Daesh or Taliban. Those of us who operate in such environments cannot afford to be hysterical and uninformed. This is part of being smart about security. You may stay in your house in front of the TV and make silly assumptions about the World. That is your business. The rest of us will seek information, informed analysis and conduct ourselves accordingly. I have no problem returning to Kabul and soon will be heading to the West Bank and Gaza. I help governments try to conduct normal business in post conflict environments. Some of us see this as proactive and beneficial rather than running around with our hands in the air in distress. Such activity is, to me, a more accurate description of a dufus.

[JHolmesJr]

1 hour ago, ChoakMyDee said:

It boggles my mind that any foreigner would think it safe to teach there.

 

Probably not good enough for thailand.