Charity halts Afghan aid after Isil attack

SAVE the Children suspended operations across Afghanistan yesterday after Isil militants stormed one of its offices and killed at least three people.

The attack left 24 people injured at the British charity’s compound in the eastern city of Jalalabad, and is the latest in a series of assault on foreign charities in Afghanistan.

After blowing up a car outside the compound, the attackers used a rocketpropelled grenade to storm the complex, in a raid claimed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial governor, said at least three people – two guards and a civilian – had been killed and 24 wounded. He said the attackers were wearing military uniforms.

Up to 50 people were rescued from a basement where they had been hiding.

Isil has intensified attacks in recent months, targeting mosques and Afghan security forces as it expands beyond its stronghold in the east.

Hours after an Afghan official claimed it was over, the attack, was seemingly still ongoing, according to Save the Children. “In response to this, all of our programmes across Afghanistan have been temporarily suspended and our offices are closed,” a spokesman said.