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Attack at government office building kills 11 in Kabul

Reuters
Kabul, AfghanistanUpdated: Apr 21, 2019, 08:03 AM IST
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Government building attacked in Afghanistan. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Among the eight people killed were four civilians, three members of the Afghan security forces and all the four attackers, according to the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs.

Eleven people were killed and eight civilians wounded after assailants armed with guns, grenades and suicide bomb jackets stormed an 18-story government office building in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Saturday.

The attack on the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) started at around mid-day and ended after a five-hour exchange of gunfire and explosions.

Among the eight people killed were four civilians, three members of the Afghan security forces and all the four attackers, according to the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs.

A MCIT staff member described how the explosions and the gunfire unfolded.

"We were at our offices when the blast happened. It was so powerful that we were forced to hide in the safe rooms on each floor. I could still hear constant explosions and gunfire while in the safe room," said Hasibullah Noorzada, an employee of MCIT.

The Afghan Special Forces evacuated around 2,000 people from the MCIT building.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. The Taliban militant group has denied involvement.