Founded by Dr. Sharif Fayez, it is Afghanistan's "top institution for higher education", with many foreign employees, and is supported in part by prominent U.S.

Students used furniture in the classroom to barricade doors, with others making a "mad scramble to escape through windows" while pushing each other out, some from dangerous heights.

Afghan National Army troops belonging to an elite unit led operations to secure the campus while exchanging gunfire with the assailants.

United States led military coalition foreign troops assisted in the operations, including mentors from the Norwegian Special forces group Marinejegerkommandoen[9] to rescue the 200 students trapped inside the school.

Associated Press and Agence France-Presse photographer Massoud Hossaini was stuck and wounded inside the university and tweeted updates, along with other reporters such as CBS producer Ahmad Mukhtar.

[13] Laura Bush, a major supporter of the university, denounced the attack along with the U.S. State Department and offered her condolences.

Our firm resolve is to move forward,”AUAF English professor Raj Chandarlapaty reflected on the challenging plight of the university: “There are no easy answers for them.