American University of Afghanistan Attack (2016)
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) attack in August 2016 was a significant and tragic event in Kabul, where at least thirteen individuals were killed and many more were injured during a terrorist siege on the university campus. This assault began on August 24 when a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the university's entrance, allowing two armed assailants to enter and take control of the premises. The attack lasted nearly ten hours, during which Afghan police and international forces worked to rescue trapped students and staff. Despite intensive investigations, no terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack, although Afghan authorities suspected the involvement of the Haqqani network, a faction of the Taliban.
The AUAF, Afghanistan's first private university, was established in 2006 with American support and has faced ongoing security threats in the region. This incident followed the kidnapping of two AUAF professors earlier in the month, highlighting the precarious situation for educational institutions in Afghanistan. In the aftermath, the Afghan government pledged to increase security measures for schools and universities, while David Sedney was appointed as the new acting president to enhance safety protocols at AUAF. The attack underscored the challenges facing Afghanistan as it navigates ongoing threats from extremist groups amidst a complex political and social landscape.
Subject Terms
American University of Afghanistan Attack (2016)
Date: August 24, 2016
Place: Kabul, Afghanistan
Summary
In August of 2016, a group of terrorists attacked the campus of the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul, killing at least thirteen and wounding several others. While the Afghan government had suspicions about groups that may have been behind the attack, no terrorist groups officially claimed responsibility.
Key Events
- August 7, 2016—An American and an Australian professor at the American University of Afghanistan are kidnapped by unknown assailants.
- August 24, 2016—At least three terrorists attack and capture the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, beginning a siege that lasts until the following day.
- September 2016—The AUAF appoints David Sedney as the university’s acting president.
Status
As of October 2016, Afghan authorities, working with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops, had been unable to determine which of the nation’s terrorist groups, if any, planned and executed the attack on August 24. In September, it had been announced that David Sedney, formerly US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2013, would become the university’s new acting president following the resignation of former president Mark English, with the university managers hoping that Sedney’s defense experience would help the organization to establish new, more effective security measures. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, who condemned the attack as an attempt to set back the nation’s progress, promised to provide additional governmental funding for security at the nation’s educational institutions. Terrorist incidents remained common in Kabul through the summer, with a double bomb attack attributed to the Taliban on September 6 that killed at least twenty-four people in the area of the defense ministry building and at one of the city’s charitable organizations.
In-Depth Overview
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul is the nation’s first private university, created with supportive funding from the United States and spearheaded by former Afghan minister of higher education Dr. Sharif Fayez; it officially opened in 2006 and offers a limited number of degree programs, with a focus on English and business education. In 2014, AUAF began offering a master’s degree program in education with funding from the World Bank and the Afghan Ministry of Education. Due to the threat of terrorist violence in Afghanistan, the AUAF campus is guarded by armed security and surrounded by both a security fence and a reinforced barricade.
The opening of the AUAF came after the US invasion of Afghanistan to remove the Taliban, a radical Islamist organization, from power in 2001. The organization, which formed in the 1990s, controlled the nation for several years before the US-led invasion. The American war in Afghanistan officially ended in 2014, though US and allied troops remain in the nation to reinforce the local post-Taliban government and Afghan army. Since 2015, the Taliban has seen a resurgence due to an influx of fighters from neighboring territories. Between 2014 and 2015, the Islamist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), based in Syria, began conducting terrorist attacks in Afghanistan as well. ISIS and the Taliban are rivals, as ISIS seeks to create a worldwide caliphate based in Syria while the Taliban aims to create an Islamic, Pashtun republic in Afghanistan.
On August 7, 2016, two lecturers at AUAF, reportedly an American and Australian, were kidnapped at gunpoint from their vehicle. The names of the two individuals were not released to the press and neither individual was found, despite a reported attempt by US military to recover the kidnapped lecturers the day after the event. The university closed briefly after the kidnapping but reopened on August 11, with then president Mark English promising new security measures to protect students and staff.
On August 24, at around 7:00 p.m. local time, an unidentified suicide bomber drove a truck filled with explosives to the fortified wall of the university, detonating the truck and leaving a hole in the wall. Moments later, two armed individuals using assault rifles and grenades entered the university and took control of the campus. Students and teachers fled the buildings while others were forced to hide in classrooms, where several individuals held captive issued tweets and telephone calls to report on what was happening inside the university. Associated Press photographer Massoud Hossaini was one of the captives trapped in the university during the siege. According to reports from inside, most of the casualties occurred as individuals attempting to flee were shot by one of the two assailants. The siege lasted for almost ten hours, as the captors used assault rifles and grenades to prevent Afghan police from entering the building. During the siege, Afghan police rescued more than one hundred students and teachers trapped in the building. In the early morning of August 25, Afghan forces, assisted by foreign troops, were able to kill the two attackers and secure the building.
In the wake of the attack, neither the Taliban nor ISIS issued a statement claiming responsibility. The Afghan government reported suspecting the Haqqani wing of the Taliban, though the organization’s involvement could not be confirmed. According to official reports, at least thirteen individuals were confirmed dead, including students as well as security guards.
Key Figures
Mark English: Former president of AUAF.
Ashraf Ghani: President of Afghanistan.
Abdul Rahman Rahimi: Chief of police in Kabul.
David Sedney: Acting president of AUAF appointed in September to lead the university after the attack on the institution and the resignation of English.
Bibliography
Afghanistan bomb attacks leave dozens dead and scores injured. (2016, September 6). The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/06/afghanistan-bomb-attacks-leave-dozens-dead-and-scores-injured
Amiri, E., & Stancati, M. (2016, August 25). Attack on American University of Afghanistan leaves 16 dead. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/american-university-in-kabul-attacked-1472055164
A brief history. (2016, November 2). American University of Afghanistan. Retrieved from https://www.auaf.edu.af/about/a-brief-history/
Kennedy, M., & Domonoske, C. (2016, August 24). Attack at American University of Afghanistan in Kabul kills 7 students. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/24/491209769/militant-attack-underway-at-american-university-of-kabul
Mashal, M., Abed, M. F., & Nader, Z. (2016, August 25). Attack at University in Kabul shatters a sense of freedom. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/asia/afghanistan-kabul-american-university.html
McLaughlin, E. C, Ellis, R., & Stapleton, A. (2016, August 25). Kabul university attack: 13 killed as gunmen open fire on campus. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/asia/kabul-american-university-attack/
Rasmussen, S. E. (2016, August 24). American University attack: at least 12 dead and 44 injured in Afghanistan. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/american-university-afghanistan-attacked-kabul