American University siege ends as Afghan forces gun down attackers, 12 dead

However, there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack on the university on the edge of Kabul. It was established in 2006 to offer liberal arts courses modeled on the US system, and has more than 1,000 students currently enrolled.

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A police spokesman said that the identity of the attackers is still not clear.

“Several gunmen attacked the American University in Kabul and there are reports of gunfire and explosions,” an Afghan official said. “They are inside the compound and there are foreign professors along with hundreds of students.” Ahmad Shaheer, a student at the university, told Reuters by telephone that he was trapped inside the university.

Afghan security forces rush to respond to a complex Taliban attack on the campus of the American University in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.  (AP Photo)

“We are stuck inside our classroom and there are bursts of gunfire,” he said. Meanwhile, American University President also confirmed that suspected militants have attacked the campus.

Early reports were that several gunmen, some wearing suicide vests, were involved, he said. “Several gunmen attacked the American University in Kabul and there are reports of gunfire and explosions,” the official said. “They are inside the compound and there are foreign professors along with hundreds of students.”

It is the second time this month that the university or its staff have been targeted. Two teachers, an American and an Australian, remain missing after being abducted at gunpoint from a road nearby on Aug. 7

(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)