Four dead in militant attack on children’s NGO office

KABUL, Afghanistan — Militants on Wednesday stormed the offices of Save the Children in eastern Afghanistan, killing four people and triggering a shootout with police that lasted almost 10 hours, provincial officials and the organization said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Among the four killed were two staffers of the NGO, a security guard who also worked for Save the Children and an Afghan army soldier.

The assault started with a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives’ vest at the provincial offices of Save the Children, said government spokesman Attahullah Khogyani.

Security forces killed four other attackers, he said, adding that at least 26 people, including three members of the Afghan security forces, were wounded.

After eight hours the fighting subsided and Khogyani said he initially thought it was over but then the shooting picked up again.

Two hours later, it was finally over, he said.

Carolyn Miles, president of Save the Children, expressed “profound sadness” at the killing of the NGO’S three employees in Jalalabad. She said four wounded staffers were receiving medical treatment.

Miles added that the organization had been working in Afghanistan since 1976, “providing life-saving health, education, nutrition and child protection programs that have helped millions of children.” Save the Children also said it had temporarily suspended its work across Afghanistan.