Two attackers, one of them a suicide bomber, struck a local TV station in Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least two guards, officials said. The Islamic State group quickly claimed responsibility for the assault.
Najib Danish, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the two casualties were a male and a female security guard at Shamshad TV.
“There were two attackers and both have been killed,” Danish said shortly after the attack, adding that the police have sealed off the station and were combing the premises.
He said the police rescued some of the TV staff as the attack was unfolding but he did not elaborate.
Wahid Mujro, spokesman for the public health ministry, said 21 people wounded in the attack were taken to hospitals.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied their involvement in the attack.
The IS-linked Aamaq news outlet said the Islamic State group was behind the attack on Shamshad TV, reported the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant postings.
Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate has carried out several attacks in recent years, mainly targeting the country’s Shiite minority, which the Sunni extremists view as apostates. The IS affiliate is largely made up of disenchanted insurgents who left the much larger and more well-established Taliban.
Last Tuesday, an IS suicide bomber struck near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, killing five and wounding at least 20. The bombing took place in a heavily-guarded area housing several diplomatic missions and the offices of international organizations.
