Students killed in university attack are honored

KABUL — Afghanistan declared a national day of mourning on Tuesday to honor the 22 people killed in a horrific attack a day earlier on Kabul University, which was claimed by the Islamic State. Most of those killed were students and another 27 people were wounded, some of them critically.

The brutal, hourslong assault on Monday was the second attack on an educational institution in the Afghan capital in as many weeks amid a soaring rise in violence and chaos across the country, even as the Taliban and government negotiators hold peace talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar.

The Islamic State affiliate also claimed the earlier attack, on Oct. 24, that killed 24 students at a tutoring center in Kabul’s mostly Shiite neighborhood of DashteBarchi. The militant group has declared war on the country’s minority Shiites and has claimed a number of vicious attacks since emerging in eastern Afghanistan in 2014.

Outside Kabul University, a small group of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday, demanding a ceasefire and urging the government to withdraw from the negotiations with the Taliban until a permanent end to hostilities is declared. Some held signs reading, “Why are you killing us?”

Mohammad Rahed, a policy and public administration student killed in the attack, posted a video to social media just days before the assault, where he urged people to live each moment and to “live with a smile.” The video was widely shared after the attack.

Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani warned that the perpetrators would be pursued.

“We will not remain silent. We will take the revenge,” he said in a video message Tuesday. “Our brave forces are after you everywhere and they will eliminate you.”

The Islamic State is not part of peace talks under way in Qatar and despite its claims of responsibility, the government has blamed the Taliban for the attacks. Under an agreement signed with the U. S., the Taliban have committed to fighting the Islamic State.

Family members of the victims mourned their loved ones on local TV and called for the government to investigate security lapses.