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Armed men stormed a midwifery training center in Jalalabad City, east of Afghanistan, fighting security forces for several hours and killing several staff members.
Nangarhar police chief Ghulam Sanyee Stanikzai said two people – a guard and a driver – had been killed and five others wounded.
Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman of the governor of Nangarhar province. slightly higher toll to three dead and eight wounded. Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls as a result of an attack.
Some people inside the center escaped while others were taken hostage by gunmen. "They were released by the police during the operation," Stanikzai said.
An attacker was wearing a suicide vest and blew himself up, while the other was killed by security forces, said Khogyani. Most of the recent attacks in the city were led by the Islamic State, which has a stronghold in Nangarhar.
The Taliban denied any involvement in a WhatsApp message sent to reporters
. Provincial Department of Health spokeswoman Inamullah Miakhil said 48 women from outlying districts of the province were enrolled in obstetrics for two years.
The training center is located near the center of Jalalabad. , is funded by the Ministry of Public Health.
"We do not know why the midwifery center was attacked," Miakhil said, adding that all the NGOs and government agencies in Jalalabad were in
. A witness in a neighboring department said he heard several explosions and three armed men entering the street where the midwifery center was located
Some security forces previously appeared to be dismantling improvised explosive devices apparently planted in the street. According to a witness, Jalalabad has been the scene of several attacks in recent months that have left dozens dead, while US and Afghan forces continue their offensive operations against Isis and Taliban militants. Government buildings are a common target for insurgents, including hospitals and medical institutions.
It is not known why armed men targeted the midwifery training center. Midwives have been attacked in the past for providing reproductive health services to women, although such attacks appear to be rare.
Islamist groups – and many ordinary Afghans – also oppose women working on the outside. Since the 2001 invasion by the United States, Afghanistan still has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world
. The last major attack in Jalalabad took place on July 11th. city, triggering an hour – long battle with security forces. At least 11 department employees were killed during the attack.
A suicide bombing claimed by Isis against a mob of Sikhs and Afghan Hindus in Jalalabad on July 1 killed at least 19 people and wounded 21 others.
is the largest militant group in Afghanistan and Isis has a relatively small but powerful presence, mainly in the east and north of the country. He appeared in Afghanistan in 2014 and quickly established a stronghold in Nangarhar. Heavy air and ground operations against the militants have failed to dislodge them.
An unprecedented three-day ceasefire involving Afghan security forces and the Taliban last month did not include Isis. The first official truce on a national scale since 2001 was marked by two suicide bombings from Isis to Nangarhar.
As the Afghan government and its foreign supporters seek a peace deal with the Taliban, US forces have repeatedly said.
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