Former student arrested for planning Kabul University attack

Suspect confessed to receiving training from Haqqani Network militants, Afghan vice president says

Policemen stand guard an entrance to Kabul university a day after gunmen stormed the campus on November 2, 2020. AFP

Afghanistan has arrested a former student of Kabul University for masterminding the deadly attack on its campus this month, Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Saturday.

At least 22 people were killed and another 27 wounded when three gunmen rampaged through the university on November 2, spraying classrooms with bullets for several hours before they were killed by security forces.

A photographer takes pictures inside a burned office of the National Legal Training center a day after gunmen stormed the university in Kabul. AFP

A man stands outside a damaged room at the National Legal Training centre a day after gunmen stormed the university in Kabul. AFP

A damaged clock is seen inside a classroom after yesterday's attack at the university of Kabul. Reuters

Burnt books are seen in the library inside Kabul's university campus a day after an attack at the Kabul University in Kabul. EPA

Journalists stand inside of a damaged classroom at the National Legal Training centre a day after gunmen stormed the university in Kabul. AFP

An Afghan policeman inspects the site after yesterday's attack at the university of Kabul. Reuters

An Afghan journalist talks live inside a burnt room after yesterday's attack at the university of Kabul. Reuters

An Afghan security official inspects the scene a day after an attack at Kabul University in Kabul. EPA

A doctor looks at an X-ray of a man who was wounded during an attack at the university of Kabul. REUTERS

Relatives of injured students wait outside the Intensive care unit (ICU) ward in a hospital after an attack at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan. EPA

Injured Afghan students lay in a ward at a local hospital after an attack at Kabul University in Kabul. EPA

Young injured female Afghan students lay in a ward at a local hospital after an attack at Kabul University in Kabul. EPA

A man is treated at a hospital after a deadly attack at Kabul University, in Kabul. AP Photo

Afghan security forces leave the site of an incident after an attack at the university of Kabul. REUTERS

Afghan security personnel patrol with a rocket propelled grenade launcher at the site of an attack at Kabul University in Kabul. AP Photo

Afghan security forces leave the site of an incident after an attack at the university of in Kabul. REUTERS

Afghan police patrol at the site of an attack at Kabul University in Kabul. AP Photo

Afghan policemen keep watch near the site of an attack in Kabul. REUTERS

The attack was planned by a militant called Adil, Mr Saleh announced on his Facebook page, giving only one name of the arrested man.

Adil had been an undergraduate student in the Islamic law faculty of the university. He left his studies to join the Haqqani militant group and later planned the attack under the command of an experienced member of the group, Mr Saleh said.

"Adil had been missing for three years amid rumours that he had gone to receive training in war and fighting."

The former student hailed from the province of Panjshir but his family lived on the outskirts of Kabul. During questioning, he revealed that he had received weapons from Haqqani network to carry out the attack, Mr Saleh said.

The attacker’s motivation was to “undermine and defame the government and to make it look weak and ineffective in the minds of people,” he said.

The Haqqani network is an affiliate of the Taliban insurgent group, which has been holding peace talks with the Afghan government in Qatar. The Taliban denied carrying out the university attack, which was later claimed by ISIS.

ISIS also claimed to have carried out a suicide bombing near an educational centre in western Kabul days before the university attack. Twenty-four people were killed in that attack.

The Taliban and ISIS are rivals in Afghanistan, but the national intelligence agency announced in May that security forces had arrested eight members of a network grouping ISIS and Haqqani militants that was responsible for bloody attacks in the capital.

The attack on the university came months after the intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, said it had arrested three of its teachers for being ISIS recruiters.

"Teachers and religious scholars who support jihadist groups hold a lot of influence over the community," a security official close to the investigation told The National after the arrests in July. "Young students in their care are exposed to harmful ideologies when they are extremely vulnerable and can be manipulated to do something wrong."