Death toll in Kabul maternity ward attack rises to 24

On Tuesday morning, an attack at a maternity ward in Kabul, Afghanistan left 24 new mothers, babies, and nurses dead. Relatives of the newborns whose mothers were murdered are still awaiting news of what will happen to the infants.

A string of recent attacks, including two on Tuesday that killed 100 civilians, are jeopardizing the initial troop withdrawal agreement signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in late February. Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have broken down and violence has continued across the region.

It remains unclear which group was responsible for the attack at the Dasht-e-Barchi maternity ward. The Taliban have denied their involvement.

Despite the denial, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered Afghan security forces to “switch from an active defense mode to an offensive one,” against the Taliban,” and to resume their operation against the enemies.”

The attackers, who reportedly gained access to the hospital by dressing as police officers, were killed following a multi-hour shootout.

Jarring images from the day show Afghan special forces carrying newborn babies swaddled in bloodied blankets out of harm’s way.

“The attackers were shooting at anyone in this hospital without any reason,” said one witness.

“Any attack on innocents is unforgivable, but to attack infants and women in labor … is an act of sheer evil,” said United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.