Afghanistan: At least 19 dead after gunmen storm university

Three attackers also killed as 22 others injured

Afghan policemen keep watch near the site of an attack at Kabul University (REUTERS)

At least 19 people were killed when gunmen stormed Kabul University, opening fire on students in their classrooms.  

The three attackers targeted students in the law and journalism faculty, shooting some as they fled for their lives, according to officials and witnesses.  

The gunmen traded fire with Afghan security forces, prompting a siege that lasted several hours. It was ended when the gunmen were shot dead, Afghanistan’s interior ministry said.

As the attack unfolded, teachers and students fled from the campus, while hand grenades exploded and automatic rifle fire could be heard. Special forces surrounded the university, shepherding them to safety.

A further 22 people were also wounded, in what was the second attack on an educational institution in the city in just over a week.

The university had been hosting a book fair attended by the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan when the attack began.  

No group immediately took responsibility for the shootings, though the Taliban denied any involvement.  

One student, Ahmad Samim, said he saw militants armed with pistols and assault rifles firing at the school, which is the country's oldest, with 17,000 students. 

He said the attack happened at the university's eastern side where law and journalism are taught. 

Photos shared by a senior government official showed students dead in classrooms, some next to their books. One appeared to have been shot as they were trying to escape out of a window.  

Eyewitness Fathullah Moradi told Reuters: “They were shooting at every student they saw...they even shot at the students who were running away.” 

Stefano Pontecorvo, Nato senior civilian representative to Afghanistan, said in a statement: “This is the second attack on educational institutions in Kabul. Afghan children and youth need to feel safe going to school.”  

While Afghan officials declined to comment on the book fair, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday that Iranian ambassador Bahador Aminian and cultural attache Mojtaba Noroozi were scheduled to inaugurate the event, which would host some 40 Iranian publishers.  

A suicide bomber killed 24 people, including teenage students, at an education centre in Kabul nine days ago. 

Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack, without providing evidence.  

Violence has plagued Afghanistan while government and Taliban negotiators have been meeting in Qatar to try to broker a peace deal and as the United States brings home its troops. 

Additional reporting by AP