Dozens Killed in ISIS Attack on Kabul Military Hospital The gunmen disguised themselves as doctors to penetrate the hospital’s security cordon By Ehsanullah Amiri and Margherita Stancati
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gunmen-attack-military-hospital-in-kabul-1488958384
KABUL—Islamic State fighters disguised as doctors fought elite government forces inside Afghanistan’s largest military hospital on Wednesday in a seven-hour battle that left at least 30 people dead and 50 others wounded, Afghan officials said.
Islamic State’s regional affiliate, Khorasan Province, said it carried out the attack, which began when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the heavily guarded medical facility in the Afghan capital. In a statement, Khorasan Province said four of its fighters armed with suicide vests then entered the compound.
As the gunmen and security forces exchanged fire inside the complex, hospital personnel scurried to protect patients and evacuate them to safety. Among those killed were an unknown number of doctors, the Afghan defense ministry said.
A photo distributed by Islamic State’s official Amaq news agency purportedly taken inside the besieged hospital showed what it said was a militant posing next to an automatic rifle, wearing a surgical mask and holding a dagger. Another photo showed the bodies of unidentified victims. All the gunmen died in the fighting, Afghan officials said.
The assault on the U.S.-funded Dawood National Hospital, along with the expected start soon of the Taliban’s spring offensive, could increase pressure on the Trump administration to deploy more troops to Afghanistan.
In testimony to U.S. Congress last month, Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan, said more coalition troops were needed in the country to end what he described as a stalemate in the 16-year-old war.
Wednesday’s attack wasn’t the first on Dawood National Hospital. The facility, which is operated by the Afghan army and treats only members of the country’s security forces and their relatives, was hit in 2011 by the Taliban, Afghanistan’s largest insurgency, an assault that left six people dead.
The Taliban denied any involvement in the latest attack on the hospital. Dawlat Waziri, a defense ministry spokesman, said it didn’t matter which of the two groups were responsible.
“They are both enemies of the people and of this country,” he said. “We will eliminate them.”
The assault on the hospital reflects the growing strength of Khorasan Province, Islamic State’s regional branch. Aided by their disguises, the attackers succeed in penetrating the thick security cordon around the highly fortified hospital compound, which is located in the heart of Kabul near embassies and military installations.
Comments are closed.
