A guard at a children's hospital in the Afghan capital of Kabul opened fire on the staff on Thursday morning, killing at least three foreign nationals, according to Afghan security officials.
Kabul District Police Chief Hafiz Khan told the AP that the guard suddenly started shooting in CURE Hospital, which is run by a US charity, in the west of the capital. According to Khan, one of the three foreigners killed was a doctor.
Hospital sources also told the AFP that at least one foreign doctor was killed in the attack. The nationality of the deceased was not yet known.
According to Afghan police officials, the attacker was a member of the Afghan Police Protection Force assigned to guard the hospital. A BBC journalist in Afghanistan reported that the assailant hailed from the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.
The shooting is the latest attack on foreign civilians in Afghanistan after the bombing of a popular restaurant in January and an attack on an upscale hotel in March. Last month Taliban militants attacked a Kabul guesthouse used by Roots of Peace, a US anti-landmine charity, killing two people including a girl.
Thursday's attack came as Afghans were awaiting the results of the landmark April 5 presidential and local elections, which took place relatively peacefully despite Taliban threats of disrupting the vote.
