The exchange of fire near Kabul University took place as Afghan and Iranian officials were inaugurating a book exhibition at the university.
According to details, the attack started at around 11:00 am on Monday morning when three attackers entered the university compound and moved towards a training center at Law Faculty, as per the security sources, that was apparently their main target.
The attack on Kabul University, one of the biggest higher education institutions in the country, ended after six hours when all three attackers were killed, the Interior Affairs Ministry said.
At least 20 people were killed and 22 others were injured in the attack. This was the second attack on education institutions in the last 10 days. A week ago, a suicide bombing near a tutoring center killed over 30 people, most of them were students.
Hundreds of students as well as professors were at the university when the attack happened. Many students escaped the university through its surrounding walls.
The attack was widely condemned by the Afghan leaders and foreign diplomats as horrific and inhuman.
According to AFP report, immediately after the attack, the Afghan Taliban said that they had nothing to do with the armed operation. Whereas, in the past, various extremist groups, including ISIS and Taliban have carried out massive attacks on many big educational institutions in different cities of Afghanistan.