7 killed as militants storm ministry compound in Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan

At least seven people, including three security forces, were killed and eight others wounded as armed assailants stormed a ministry compound in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, a statement said.

According to the Ministry of Interior’s statement, all four attackers have been killed in a security operation that lasted for at least six hours.

Earlier, Roshan Dil, police chief in the capital, told Anadolu Agency that four entered the compound of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) in downtown Kabul during morning rush hour.

Dil said the attack had begun with a suicide attack at the entrance.

The Ministry of Interior said close to 1,500 workers of MoCIT, 300 employees of the Ministry of Information and Culture and nearly 150 staffers of the Central Statistics Organization have been rescued.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, with the Taliban saying they have nothing to do with the attack.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the “barbaric terrorist attack”.

In a statement, Ghani said the enemies of Afghanistan only wants to spread horror by attacking civil servants.

The pictures released by the Ministry of Interior showed slain attackers wearing police uniform.