‘Mastermind’ of Kabul university attack arrested

Gulf Today Report

The “mastermind” of a brutal attack on Kabul University was arrested on Saturday.

Earlier this month militants stormed the university classrooms and gunned down dozens of students, a top official said on Saturday.

“The mastermind behind Kabul University attack has been arrested,” Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced on his Facebook page.

Policemen stand guard at an entrance of the Kabul University after gunmen stormed the university in Kabul. File photo

A militant called “Adil”, Saleh said planned the attack, which had ended after the three attackers were killed in fighting.

At least 22 people were killed and another 27 wounded when three gunmen rampaged through the university on Nov.2, spraying classrooms with bullets for several hours.

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Adil was recruited by the Haqqani network, Saleh said giving only one name of the arrested man.

“The attack was carried out to pressure, defame and make the government look weak in front of the people,” Saleh said.

The brazen daylight assault came amid surging violence across the country that has only worsened in recent months despite the government holding peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.

A photographer takes photos inside a burned office of the National Legal Training centre in Kabul. File/AFP

During his questioning, Adil revealed that he had received weapons from Haqqani network to carry out the attack, Saleh added.

The shadowy Haqqani network, an affiliate of the Taliban, has long been accused of carrying out brutal assaults of Western forces and civilians, and has been branded a terrorist group by Washington.

Soon after the attack, Saleh and other top officials had blamed the Taliban for the university attack.

However, the attack was claimed by Daesh.

Days before the university attack, Daesh had claimed another deadly suicide bombing near an educational centre in a western district of Kabul that killed 24 people.