Haqqani network behind school attack: NDS

KABUL, the Afghan spy service claimed on Friday.

A German citizen was killed and 20 others — mostly Afghans — were wounded on Thursday evening when the teenage bomber on foot blew himself up inside the Istiqlal High School in the heart of Kabul.

The explosion occurred in the auditorium of the school during a theatre performance at around 5:30pm. The injured were evacuated to different hospitals in Kabul, with four of them said to be in critical condition.

Addressing a news conference here, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman said the Haqqani network was behind the bombing. He blamed the group for showing no mercy to children and using them for terrorist acts.

Haseeb Siddiqui claimed the intelligence agency, with cooperation from police, army and other law-enforcement personnel, had frustrated terrorist plots of the Haqqani network and Taliban in Kabul.

A number of the network members had been arrested with weapons and explosives in recent raids by the security personnel, the spokesman said, without giving details of the operations.

Six militants, including two members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, had been arrested in Faryab, Nangarhar, Kabul, Nangarhar and Balkh province, Siddiqui added.

A group of three militants planning and executing suicide attacks and bombings had been netted in Kandahar, he added. Another three suspects were held with weapons and ammunition in Helmand.

He said several foreign terrorists had been captured as a result of special operations by intelligence agents. Details of the arrests would be announced soon, the spokesman promised.

mud

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