Update: With the attack finally over, police say that 14 people were killed, including 7 students, 2 security guards, and 3 police officers, along with two militants who staged the attack. As many as 44 were wounded.
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At least one person has been reported dead and more than 20 injured during an attack on American University in Afghanistan. Many students and professors have managed to escape from the building in Kabul, which has been under siege by gunmen for hours.
The attack reportedly began with a suicide bombing, followed by the sound of gunfire as people in the building took shelter.
BREAKING — American University of Afghanistan has been attacked by at least one suicide bomber, an AUAF student tells me.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Students are held inside the American University of Afghanistan as a gunfight is underway right now. #Kabul
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Suicide attack followed by gun battle in #AUAF. Recently 2 professors of the same university kidnapped. #Afghanistan
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) August 24, 2016
My university under attack. Dear God it's packed with innocent students and teachers #auaf
— Spogmai (@SAkseer) August 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/kochay_hassan/status/768466858479591428
Photo attributed to the attack on American University of Afghanistan in Kabul pic.twitter.com/EVunzOpyd3
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Confirmed from students inside: Multiple attackers have entered American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, gunfight underway.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
American University of Afghanistan is under attack – attackers made it into campus. #AUAF
— Matt Trevithick (@MattTrevithick) August 24, 2016
Recommended
That feeling; #Terrorists attacked my university, @AUAfghanistan – my friends are there. Just pray that they are alive! Helplessness
— Omaid Sharifi-امیدشریفی (@OmaidSharifi) August 24, 2016
"I climbed a six metre wall to escape" – student Ahmad describes #AUAF attack in Kabul https://t.co/EU06nuPlYm pic.twitter.com/5hUz11KTh2
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 24, 2016
Police QRF team rushing towards AUAF campus + injured student being loaded into an ambulance. (From @OmaidSharifi) pic.twitter.com/hXRDaT55DQ
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
AP Photographer Massoud Hussaini is stuck inside the American University in Kabul along with many students.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
On a personal note, to be very honest, I was scared shitless when I heard my friend @Massoud151 was wounded. Now, endless thanks to God.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Massoud made it! Yay! Picture courtesy of @raminanwari. Hoping safety for remaining students stuck. pic.twitter.com/NAjtPalNzt
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Reports say that the CRU (Crisis Response Unit), a special forces unit of the Afghanistan police, is in charge of the operation at the university.
"Small number" of US advisors currently assisting Afghan forces in response to #AUAF terror attack – US defense official
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 24, 2016
There were reports hours ago that the attack had ended, but the siege is apparently ongoing, as are rescue operations, hours later.
Who is spreading this lie about all #AUAF evacuated and students being safe? Completely wrong. People still stuck on campus, afraid to move.
— Catherine James (@cathjam) August 24, 2016
JUST IN — Brother of one of students who's still stuck inside the campus: Terrorists are still at the American University, combat ongoing.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Every now and then, a couple of C2 MH-60 choppers fly over the district where the besieged American University of Afghanistan is located.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
And attack is still underway #AUAF https://t.co/bAYhdxhXNV
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/khorasanee1/status/768562738599567360
It is 2:30 in the night & still families of the AUAF students out in the roads waiting for their sons/daughters. Students still inside.
— Esmatullah Kohsar (@EKohsar) August 24, 2016
The White House recently issued a statement condemning the terrorist attack.
Statement by @Price44 on the Terrorist Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan: https://t.co/eFJd6HOc5g pic.twitter.com/LuaGCBHSto
— Obama NSC- Archived (@NSC44) August 24, 2016
#AUAF under attack. Thinking of all the amazing, brilliant young people in AUAF. Be gone Terrorists. You are the enemy of all goodness
— Baseer Ahmad Baheer (@bbaheer) August 24, 2016
Update:
Recent tweets suggest that some are still trapped inside the university.
One of the students rescued by Special Forces from inside the university campus says the attackers are using weapons with suppressors.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
There still are trapped students inside the university building with terrorists and Special Forces sporadically engaging in gunfights.
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
The attack on American University of Afghanistan in Kabul started at 1940 Wednesday. It's 0248 Thursday now. (8 hours 8 minutes).
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) August 24, 2016
Kabul attack: ambulances coming out of AUAF carrying wounded people, attacker threw a hand grenade just moments back after hours of silence
— Esmatullah Kohsar (@EKohsar) August 24, 2016
@AhmadMassoudoff casualties my go higher, several ambulances came out of AUAF carrying victims and it still continues.
— Esmatullah Kohsar (@EKohsar) August 24, 2016
4 small blasts, some firing & now silence. The commandos apparently searching for assailant in #AUAF in Ghani's private house neighbourhood
— Harun Najafizada (@HNajafizada) August 24, 2016
They turned a university into a battleground now in its 9th hour, a purely civilian area into a danger zone. Taken kids 2corner room #AUAF
— Harun Najafizada (@HNajafizada) August 24, 2016
Update:
The attack seems to be over at last, and although there’s only one confirmed fatality, a security guard at the school, some are claiming as many as six dead.
All AUAF buildings has been cleared and forces are taking people outside the building one by one.#AUAFAttack
— Maldar Shah Zadran (@Maldar_zadran) August 24, 2016
About 9 hrs after it began, the #AUAF attack is reported over. It's 4:30am in Kabul. Thoughts with the families and friends of the students
— Catherine James (@cathjam) August 24, 2016
Attack on #AUAF ended, two attackers were killed by ANSF, no details about the number of casualties yet. Hundreds of students were evacuated
— Fahim Abed (@fahimabed) August 25, 2016
About ten hours after #AUAF attack, MOI declares it over https://t.co/KVUVJCIIRB
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) August 25, 2016
Update:
Afghan Police: 14 killed in attack on #AUAF in #Kabul. (7 students, 3 police, 2 University guards, 2 attackers) https://t.co/vcFmChy1yc
— Ahmad Shah Azami (@AhmadShahAzami) August 25, 2016
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