Kabul Attack: Leading Islamic Scholar Menk Slams 'Senseless Act' In Ramadan

 

A leading global Islamic scholar, Mufti Ismail Menk has severely criticised Tuesday's attack by gunmen on a maternity hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Allnews reports that in the Holy Month of Ramadan, at least three killers stormed a medical centre in Kabul, setting off an hours-long shoot-out with the police and claiming the lives of 24 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers and an unspecified number of nurses.

Photos from the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs showed two young children lying dead inside the hospital.

A viral image showed a woman who had suffered the attack lying on the ground still holding tightly to her baby, who a nurse confirmed to Reuters had survived and had been moved to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at another hospital.

 

Targeting women and newborn at a maternity hospital is a new low. It is heart-wrenching and wrong on all counts. My heart is shattered. What a senseless, brutal, barbaric act in the blessed month of #Ramadan. May the Almighty deal with the perpetrators of the #KabulAttack.

— ????? ???? (@muftimenk) May 12, 2020

 

 

 

A mother holding her newborn baby just before being killed in the #kabulattack. #Heartbreaking scene? pic.twitter.com/8q6kTGY6sV

— @bhatparvaiiz (@ParvaizBhatt1) May 12, 2020

 

 

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Mufti Menk Prays For Healing Amid Pandemic In 'Very Different' Ramadan

Menk of Zimbabwe said his "heart is shattered" while beseeching The Almighty to "deal with perpetrators of the attack".

It was unclear why the maternity hospital in Dashti Barchi, a 100-bed facility, was targeted - an attack Arian said was an "act against humanity and a war crime".