Govt, NGO workers killed, injured in Jalalabad attack identified

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Eighteeen government and NGOs workers were among those killed and wounded in Tuesday’s gun and bomb attack on the Refugee and Repatriation Department in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Pajhwok Afghan News has learnt.

According to reliable information, 14 people were killed and 26 others injured in the July 31 attack. Women have been among the casualties, but no foreigner was killed or injured.

The attack involving three assailants began at about 12pm when one of the attackers detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at the entrance to the refugee and repatriation department in Jalalabad, the provincial capital.

Then the two attackers entered the department, sparking a five-hour long standoff with security forces. The carnage came to an end at 5pm when the last attacker was eliminated, said the governor’s spokesman, Attaullah Khogyani.

He said the attack took place when a meeting of supporting organizations about assistance for refugees was underway.

Pajhwok obtained a list showing the dead and injured.

Dead officials of the Reufgee and Repatriation Department (RRD)

Name                             Father’s Name                        Job

Ghulam Sakhi               Ghulam Nabi                           RRD secretariat clerk

Fareha                          Mamnon                                  IOM employee

Mohammad                   Syed Khan                              RRD employee

Darya Khan                   Rahmatullah                            RRD employee

Mir Hamza                    Ghulam Sarwar                        RRD employee

Lal Mohammad              Hamzakhel                             RRD employee

Farid                            Ikramuddin                               IRC employee

Khali                            Mastan                                     RRD employee

Hanifullah                     Haji Mohammad Hassan            RRD employee

The injured are:

Name:                            Father’s Name                        Job

Mohammad Salim                   Rabbani                          urban department representative

Eng. Mohammad Anas            Mohammad Yousuf         Head of the RRD

Mohammad Ewaz                   Abdul Ahad                     General Director RRD

Abdul Basir                            Abdul Hameed                 Employee of RRD

Raees Khan                           Musafar                           RRD driver

Eng. Sabawon Saba               Haji Sher Maluk               Shelter Coordinator NRC

Roman                           Mohammad Zahir           Goods supplying director Torkahm Port

The attack comes a day after a suicide bomber killed an influential tribal elder along with three others in Rodat district.

President Ashraf Ghani has condemned the attack on the refugee department, saying the terrorist criminals had turned their guns on innocent people, schools and public places after facing defeat at the hands of Afghan security forces on the battlefield.

In a statement issued from the Presidential Palace, the president said the attack was aimed at weakening the government’s and people’s resolve to continue their journey towards development and prosperity.

nh/ma