2 dead, 12 injured as suicide bomber & gunmen attack Save the Children office in Afghanistan

Gunmen attacked the office of the international Save the Children NGO in the city of Jalalabad, and an explosion rocked the compound. The assault which left two dead and 12 injured was later claimed by Islamic State.

Attackers stormed the building on Wednesday morning, local officials confirmed. At least one suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the compound, opening the way for gunmen to enter the office.

Two people were confirmed dead and 12 injured in the attack, the Nangarhar Provincial Governor’s spokesman Attaullah Khoghyani said, as cited by TOLO news. He did not elaborate on whether children are among the casualties.

“The there was a blast and the target was Save the Children,” Khogyani said, as cited by Reuters.

Clashes between militants and security force members are ongoing, Khoghyani said.

Later on Wednesday IS claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported, citing the group’s affiliated website Amaq.

Afghan police officers arrive at the site of a blast and gun fire in Jalalabad, Afghanistan January 24, 2018 © Parwiz © Reuters

The group later confirmed that in response to the attack, all its programs in Afghanistan “have been temporarily suspended” and its offices are now closed. “We remain committed to resuming our operations and lifesaving work as quickly as possible,” the statement added. 

The organization – established in 1919 – is an international non-governmental group, promoting rights and support for children in developing countries. The organization works in about 120 states across the globe.

People run away from a site of a blast near the office of the Save the Children aid agency in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in this still image taken from Reuters TV footage, January 24, 2018 © Reuters

So far there has been no statement from Save the Children.

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