March 8 (UPI) — Gunmen dressed as doctors and a suicide bomber attacked a military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people, military officials said.
A suicide bomber on foot detonated explosives at a gate at Sadar Mohammad Duad Khan Hospital, allowing insurgents dressed as doctors to enter the hospital and clash with security forces, Maj. Gen. Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said.
The hospital, near Kabul’s diplomatic district, is the main care center for injured Afghan soldiers. Ismail Kawoosi, spokesman for the Afghan Health Ministry, said at least three bodies were recovered immediately after the attack, and 66 injured people were taken to civilian hospitals.
Four attackers with guns and grenades entered the hospital after the explosion at the hospital gate and then opened fire on staff and patients. Troops arriving by helicopter on the hospital’s roof killed the attackers after several hours of fighting, the BBC reported.
Zahir Ziya, a doctor at the hospital, said he feared the casualty count would be high, The New York Times reported.
The Islamic State announced it was responsible for the attack and the Afghan Taliban immediately denied involvement.
