Afghanistan: Gunmen wearing police uniforms attack maternity hospital in Kabul, two newborn babies killed
In a major incident, gunmen attacked a maternity hospital in the western part of the Afghan capital Kabul, killing 16 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers, and an unspecified number of nurses.
The pictures from the Ministry of Interior Affairs showed two young children lying dead inside the hospital. In an image, a woman who had been killed was seen lying on the ground holding her baby tightly, who a nurse in the unit confirmed to Reuters had survived and had been moved to an intensive care unit (ICU) at another hospital.
Earlier, the security forces cordoned off the area as they evacuated more than 80 women and infants from the hospital. The Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said that three foreign nationals were among those safely evacuated.
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It was still unclear that why did the maternity hospital in Dashti Barchi, a 100-bed facility, was targeted. As many as three attackers wearing police uniforms entered the hospital, hurled grenades and opened fire, the officials said.
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As per the report, a paediatrician who fled the hospital told AFP news agency that he heard a sound of an explosion at the entrance of the building in Dashti Barchi. It is a mostly Shia neighbourhood that has witnessed past attacks by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group. Meanwhile, the Rights group Amnesty International condemned the attack. Likewise, the countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey and India released statements condemning the violence.
