KABUL - The National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday said Wednesday’s attack on the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul was managed from the other side of the Durand Line.
The Taliban-style attack involving three heavily armed gunmen began at 7pm when one of the three exploded an explosives-laden car against the university wall, allowing the two others to enter the campus, with the siege lasting 10 hours.
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace, one teacher, seven students, two university security guards and three Afghan security personnel had been killed and 36 students and university workers and nine security personnel injured in the assault.
The NSC held an extraordinary meeting at the Presidential Palace and reviewed details of the attack, the statement said.
The statement said evidence and findings of the spy service showed the attack was managed and orchestrated from the other side of the Durand Line.
President Ashraf Ghani, who presided over the NSC meeting, spoke over the phone to Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif and demanded serious and practical measures against the perpetrators of the attack, the statement said.
It said Gen. Raheel promised to investigate the issue and inform Afghanistan about the measures taken.
The meeting decided that families of the victims and those wounded should be extended every possible help and arrangements should be made to quickly repair damaged parts of the university.
The meeting praised the bravery of the Afghan security forces in dealing with the complex attack and said the Afghan government would bring into use all resources to hunt and bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack.
Dawn.com reported that the Pakistan army’s media wing ISPR in a statement said the Afghan authorities shared three mobile numbers with Pakistan, saying these numbers were allegedly in contact with the assailants from inside Pakistan during the university attack.
Following which, the Pakistani security forces carried out a combing operation, based on the information provided by Afghan government, in area close to Pak-Afghan border to verify the presence of miscreants, ISPR claimed.
Sharing its evaluation of the shared information, ISPR said “all Afghan SIMs used during the attack were from a network owned and operated by Afghan company whose spill over signal affects some areas along Pak-Afghan border”.
Outcome of the operation has been shared with the Afghan authorities, moreover, further technical evaluation of the mobile numbers is being carried out, read the ISPR statement.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan strongly condemned the university attack in Kabul and reiterated its condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations.

“We extend our profound condolences to the government and the people of Afghanistan and the families of those who lost their loved ones in this brutal terrorist attack. We also pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded,” the Pakistan foreign ministry said. (Pajhwok)