Islamic State Group Kills 2, Wounds 21 in Afghanistan

The Islamic State group has attacked a TV station in Kabul, killing at least two people and wounding 21 others. 

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Those killed include male and female security guards at the privately-owned Shamshad broadcasting station. 

"The attackers ... had military uniforms on," said Afghan General Salim Hassas. He told Reuters that a suicide bomber threw hand grenades and blew himself up at the station's gate while accomplices ran into the station and opened fire on staff. 

Abed Ehsas, Shamshad's news director, told local Tolo News TV, "Some of our colleagues were hit, though, thank God, many others managed to get out. Some were wounded by gunshots, falling glass and when they jumped from high floors." 

After hearing the explosion and rounds of ammunition, a “special forces unit” blasted into the TV station compound where at least one attacker was killed and the violent confrontation ended. Shamshad TV resumed normal broadcasting just two hours after the incident began, saying all staff had been rescued by the police.

The Islamic State group immediately took credit for the attack. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they were not responsible for or involved in the conflict.

Afghanistan's Islamic State group affiliate primarily targets the country's Shiite minority, which they view as so-called "apostates."

Today’s attack follows a series of Islamic State group attacks in Kabul over the past several months. 

A week ago, a suicide bomber killed five people and wounded at least 20. The attack occurred in a fortified complex where several international diplomatic missions and non-government organizations have offices. The Islamic State group killed one person and wounded eight in a late-August attack near the U.S. Embassy. A single attack last May killed about 150 and wounded around 400 people, mainly civilians.

The Islamic State group has nearly been driven out of Iraq and Syria over the past several months. Within the past week, Syrian forces drove militants out of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa in October, which had been the entity’s de-facto capital since 2014.