5 Dead in Terror Attack on ‘Save the Children’ Office in Jalalabad

Security forces killed the five gunmen, but not before three Save the Children members & two civilians were killed.

Security forces near the Save the Children office in Kabul on 24 January.

(Photo: AP)

At least five people were killed, and 25 left injured in a terror attack on a Save the Children office in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on 24 January.

Gunmen stormed the Save the Children aid agency’s office in Jalalabad on 24 January, and faced off with security forces in a daylong battle before the attack was finally suppressed.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault, which began with a suicide car bomb outside the office in the morning and continued as gunmen entered the compound where they resisted Afghan security forces for about 10 hours.

Authorities said three Save the Children employees had been killed, including one guard, as well as a member of the Afghan security forces and a shopkeeper.

The Save the Children office in Kabul on 24 January was the target of a suicide attack by the Islamic State.(Photo: AP)

“Right after that children and people started running away,” said Ghulam Nabi, who was nearby when the bomb exploded. “I saw a vehicle catch fire and then a gunfight started.”

The raid began with a huge blast at around 9 am that rocked the neighbourhood, where other aid groups and government buildings are based. A neighbouring building of another aid group caught fire, but all staff were evacuated.

The Save the Children office in Kabul on 24 January was the target of a suicide attack by the Islamic State.(Photo: AP)

Black smoke funnelled into the sky from the area as gunmen battled special forces through the afternoon of 24 January. Up to 45 people, who had taken refuge in a fortified “safe room” in the compound, were rescued by late afternoon, but fighting continued past nightfall when officials said the last attacker was killed.

Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attack

Tanks near the Save the Children office in Kabul on 24 January.(Photo: AP)

Islamic State, in a statement on its Amaq news agency, said the attack targeted British, Swedish and Afghan government institutions. Save the Children was founded in Britain, and a Swedish aid group office and a building of the Afghan Department of Women's Affairs are near the compound.

The attack underlines how difficult operating in Afghanistan has become for humanitarian aid groups, which have faced heavy pressure from armed groups and kidnappers. In 2017, a total of 17 aid workers were killed, and 32 injured in the country.

‘Shocked & Appalled’

Security forces near the Save the Children office in Kabul on 24 January.(Photo: AP)

Save the Children, which says it reaches almost 1.4 million children in Afghanistan, said that for the moment, it had closed its offices in Afghanistan. It has operated in Afghanistan since 1976, working in eight provinces as well as in three others through partnership agreements.

We are shocked and appalled at the violence carried out against our staff in Afghanistan, who are dedicated humanitarians, committed to improving the lives and well-being of millions of children across the country

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO, Save the Children

Vehicles burn after the deadly suicide attack in Jalalabad, east of Kabul.(Photo: AP)

In October, the Red Cross said it was drastically reducing operations in Afghanistan following attacks that killed seven of its staff.

"An attack against an organisation that helps children is outrageous. Civilians and aid workers must not be targeted," said Monica Zanarelli, head of the Red Cross delegation in Afghanistan, in response to Wednesday's attack.

"Increased violence has made operating in Afghanistan increasingly difficult for many organisations."

We have temporarily suspended our operations across the country following the events. However, we remain fully committed to helping the most deprived children of Afghanistan.  

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO, Save the Children

President Ashraf Ghani, whose government has been under heavy pressure to improve security, also condemned the attack in a statement in which he called on neighbouring countries not to help militant groups.

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