KABUL, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The death toll rose to 30 and more than 50 others wounded in a terrorist attack against a military hospital in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, for which the Islamic State (IS) outfit claimed responsibility, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"The clearance operation against gunmen ended at 03:30 p.m. (local time) but sadly more than 30 of our countrymen were martyred and over 50 wounded in the today's terrorist attack," the ministry said in a statement.
The attack came in the morning after one suicide bomber struck the back gate of Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital in fortified Wazir Akbar Khan diplomatic district.
The initial blast enabled four gunmen holding grenades and disguised as medical staff to enter the main building. They opened indiscriminate fire on people inside the seven-story building, according to security sources.
Afghan army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim has visited the site after the attack and instructed the authorities to provide best medical treatment for the victims, according to the statement.
Among the killed and injured were patients and medical staff of the 400-bed hospital, the largest medical facility in the war-torn country.
