JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Four gunmen stormed an office of the Save the Children aid agency in Afghanistan Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding 11, officials said.
The attack began with a suicide car bomb outside the site in the city of Jalalabad, followed by gunmen entering the compound and fighting Afghan special forces, a spokesman for the provincial government said.
“There was a blast and the target was Save the Children,” spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said. “Attackers entered the compound.”
Some witnesses said the gunmen appeared to have been wearing police uniforms, a common tactic, but there was no immediate official confirmation.
The director of the provincial health department said 11 wounded people had been taken to hospital.
As security forces fought their way in, they recovered one body inside the compound.
“An explosion rocked the area and 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.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban, which is seeking to reimpose Islamic rule after being ousted in 2001, issued a statement denying involvement.
Several other aid groups are located nearby, and security forces evacuated people from surrounding buildings while they exchanged fire with the militants.
“We are devastated at the news,” a Save the Children spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our primary concern is for the safety and security of our staff.”
Backed by intensive U.S. airstrikes, Afghan forces have claimed growing success against the Taliban and other militant groups, including Islamic State, but militant attacks on civilian targets have continued, causing heavy casualties.
The attack in Jalalabad came just days after Taliban militants struck the a hotel in Kabul, killing some 22 people, including at least 13 foreigners.