KEY POINTS

  • Multiple gunmen stormed the hospital in Kabul dressed as police officers armed with rifles and grenades
  • Afghan special forces responded shortly after the attack, leading to an extended shootout between both sides before the hospital was retaken and three attackers were killed
  • A suicide bomber also rocked eastern Afghanistan within hours of the hospital attack, leaving at least 24 people dead

At least 16 people, including two newborns, were killed, and at least 15 others were wounded after multiple gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in an hours-long shootout with police Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The attack unfolded at the Dasht-e-Barchi Hospital by at least three gunmen reportedly wearing police uniforms. Attackers also threw grenades at the hospital, which has a maternity clinic run by Doctors Without Borders. The hospital was evacuated, leaving 80 women and infants to take refuge.

“The attackers were shooting at anyone in this hospital without any reason. It’s a government hospital, and a lot of people bring in their women and children for treatment,” resident and vendor Ramazan Ali told Reuters.

The response, led by Afghan special forces, locked the surrounding area down and were met with gunfire from the attackers inside the hospital.

“We are aware of the on-going attack on the MSF-supported Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul. The Afghan Special Forces are at the scene. For now, our priority is the safety of our patients and staff,” a government spokesperson told NBC News.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian said special forces stormed the building after several hours, killing three of the attackers and regaining control of the hospital.

Dasht-e-Barchi is one of the busiest public hospitals in Kabul and operates in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Many local residents are part of a Shiite Muslim minority called Hazara and have been targeted by groups like ISIS in past attacks.

ISIS has not commented on the attack and the Taliban has outright denied involvement.

Ross Wilson, U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Afghanistan, condemned the attack on Twitter.

The hospital attack occurred within hours of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangahar. A bomber hit the public funeral of a police commander, killing at least 24 people and injuring 68 others.

Amnesty International condemned both attacks in a public statement

"The unconscionable war crimes in Afghanistan today, targeting a maternity hospital and a funeral, must awaken the world to the horrors civilians continue to face. There must be accountability for these grave crimes," Amnesty International said.

Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of an attack outside a hospital in Kabul on May 12, 2020
Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of an attack outside a hospital in Kabul on May 12, 2020 AFP / STR
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