Death toll rises to 30 in hospital attack in Kabul

The death toll rose to 30 and more than 50 others wounded in the attack against a military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, according to the country’s Defense Ministry.

The counter-attack operation in the military hospital ended after all gunmen were shot dead by security forces, said a security source.

On Wednesday morning, the attack came after one suicide bomber struck the back gate of Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital in fortified Wazir Akbar Khan diplomatic district.

The initial blast enabled four gunmen holding grenades and disguised as medical staff to enter the main building. They opened indiscriminate fire on patients and medical staff, according to security sources.

An Afghan army helicopter dropped Afghan commandos to the top of the building shortly after the clashes.

Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of any official statement.

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Amaq, an IS so-called news agency, said in an online Arabic statement that the IS fighters had killed over 100 people in the attack.

Wednesday’s attack is the second assault in the fortified 400-bed hospital, which is located in the diplomatic district near the U.S. embassy.

In mid-2011, some six medical students were killed and several others wounded in a suicide bombing.

On March 1, some 23 people were killed and 119 others wounded in two coordinated attacks in Kabul, which has been claimed by the Taliban insurgents.