Gunmen stormed the offices of the Save the Children in eastern Afghanistan Wednesday, the British charity said.
Earlier reports from a government official said there had been a suicide attack just outside the office in the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, injuring 12 people.
Images from the scene showed a massive military presence. Afghanistan’s TOLO news channel published footage showing dozens of what it said were Afghan Special Forces members at the scene.
The wounded were taken to the hospital, said Hataullah Khogyani, a spokesman for Nangarhar province.
Evan Schuurman, Save the Children’s Asia regional media manager, said the aid agency was devastated by the news. It is not known if any Save the Children staff were inside or close to the building at the time of the attack.
“Our primary concern is for the safety and security of our staff. We are awaiting further information from our team and cannot further at this time,” said Schuurman.
Save the Children is a non-governmental organization that carries out humanitarian work and advocates for young people across the globe.
Nick Kay, the UK ambassador to Afghanistan, called the attack an outrage and crime against humanity.
“I hope for a quick and safe end to this horrific incident,” he said on Twitter.
The incident comes just days after assailants stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital of Kabul.
At least 22 people — 14 of whom were foreign nationals — were killed during an hours-long standoff at the hotel, which sits on the edge of town behind checkpoints on a hill.
Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said 153 people were rescued from the hotel.
A reporter for Afghanistan’s TOLO news channel, who survived by hiding on a balcony, described to CNN horrific scenes of attackers searching for victims room by room and desperate guests jumping from balconies.
The Taliban released a statement claiming responsibility. But some Afghan officials blamed the Haqqani network, which is aligned to the Taliban but based principally in Pakistan.
