Gunmen kill seven students, professor
At least two gunmen storm classrooms after a suspected car bomb is used to get into the walled complex, and killed seven students and a professor. The death toll could have been far higher, with most students managing to barricade themselves in classrooms or flee to safety, even if it meant breaking bones as they jumped from the second floor of a building. There has been no claim of responsibility for the raid.
US soldier killed in Afghanistan
Staff Sgt. Matthew V. Thompson, 28, of Irvine, California, is killed during an anti-Taliban operation near Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern Afghan province of Helmand. The Army Green Beret was on a foot patrol with other American troops advising Afghan special operations forces where the Taliban have engaged in heavy combat. Thompson is killed by a bomb blast that leaves another American service member and six Afghan soldiers injured.
Six airmen killed
Six airmen are killed in Afghanistan, including four OSI agents and two security forces, when they are targeted by Taliban forces as they moved through a village near Bagram Airfield. One of the women killed was the first openly lesbian woman in the armed forces. Army spokesperson:
Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those affected in this tragic incident, especially during this holiday season.
Kunduz airstrike
The U.S. military carries out an airstrike on the northern Afghan city of Kunduz one day after Taliban insurgents fought their way into the major city, repelling local Afghan forces.
Abdullah condemns attack
The Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah, condemns the brutal killing of Dawabsheh. issues a statement calling the brutal killing of the toddler an act against the humanity. Abdullah calls on international community to strictly react against the act and introduce the perpetrators to war crimes court so that justice is availed. The statement also adds that the government of Afghanistan continues to support the people of Palestine to ascertain their political future through establishment of an independent government.
U.S. airstrike kills leader
A U.S. airstrike kills Abu Kahlil al-Sudani, a high-ranking commander in al Qaeda, in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika on the Pakistani border. Al-Sudani was the head of al Qaeda’s suicide and explosive operations and has been directly linked to plans for external attacks against the U.S. Defense Secretary Carter:
This operation underscores the work that . . . all of our forces in Afghanistan do each day to take the fight to al Qaeda. We will continue to counter violent extremism in the region and around the world.
Suicide attack kills over 30
A suicide bomb attack on a bank branch in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad kills at least 30 people. More than 80 people wounded in the attack. The attacker detonated an explosive-laden motorcycle, targeting a crowd of both military personnel and civilians who were gathered outside the bank to receive their monthly salaries. The bank branch is located in the heart of a crowded commercial district.
Another blast was reported near a shrine in Jalalabad, but no one was hurt. A third blast was also heard in Jalalabad, but it was later reported as a controlled explosion by the Afghan army in Nangarhar. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Taliban offensive
A Taliban offensive in eastern Afghanistan leaves an estimated 100 civilians dead or wounded, including some women and children who were beheaded, a provincial deputy governor says. The insurgents beheaded at least 15 people, including women and children. Mohammed Ali Ahmadi:
We only have local police forces and a small number of Afghan National Army personnel fighting a huge number of well-armed Taliban in the area.