Attack targeted civilians outside hospital, Taliban say

Two explosions and gunfire targeted civilians outside a military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, the Taliban said. 

Interior ministry spokesman Saeed Khosty tweeted that the blast went off at the entrance to Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan military hospital, The Associated Press reported.

Residents reported hearing two explosions in the area, along with gunfire, the news service noted, adding that no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.  

There is no official confirmation on how many people were killed or wounded.

Reuters, citing a Taliban security official, reported that at least 15 people were killed and 34 wounded as a result of the attack. Interior ministry sources told Al Jazeera that at least 19 people were killed and 43 were wounded.

The Washington Post, citing the doctor at the hospital, reported that at least 20 people had been injured and 37 wounded.

The attack comes as the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), which operates in Afghanistan, ramps up suicide bombings in Afghanistan in recent weeks. 

Last month, ISIS-K took credit for a bombing at a mosque filled with Shiite Muslims that left 40 people dead.

Less than a week prior, the group claimed responsibility for an attack outside of the main mosque in Kabul that killed at least two people.
This wasn’t the first time the Dawood Khan hospital has been targeted. 

In 2017, gunmen disguised as medics killed at least 30 people during a six-hour attack. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, CNN noted.