Dozens killed in attacks on maternity ward and a funeral in Afghanistan

The brutality of the conflict in Afghanistan came to the fore when two attacks in different locations killed dozens of people and injured many more.

In the first attack, babies, mothers and nurses were killed when militants attacked the maternity ward of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Afghan capital Kabul. Security forces managed to save nearly 40 people, including babies covered in blood-soaked blankets.

Gunmen attacked a hospital run by international organisation, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) with guns and bombs till Afghan security forces engaged and eliminated them. Eyewitnesses claim that there were three attackers, all of who were in military uniform. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the hospital.

The second attack killed at least 24 people in Nangarhar, Kuz Kunar, at the funeral of a former police officer. Abdullah Malakzai, a member of the provincial council, was among the killed.

The injured, many of who are critical, were sent to hospitals in Kuz Kunar and the provincial capital of Jalalabad. No group claimed responsibility for this attack also.

India has condemned the terror attacks in Afghanistan and sought accountability of the perpetrators and sponsors terrorism. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: "Such reprehensible attacks, including on mothers, newly born children, nurses and mourning families are appalling and constitute crimes against humanity."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres too condemned the attack on the Kabul hospital. A statement by Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres said that secretary-general is concerned about the escalation of violence in the country.

A number of devastating attacks have rocked Afghanistan taking hundreds of lives in the last two months since the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban, excluding the Afghan government. Under the agreement, the US plans to withdraw its thousands of troops from the war-torn nation while the Taliban and the Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani sit down for peace talks, called the intra-Afghan talks.

After signing the agreement,the Taliban has stopped attacking American forces but has stepped up attacks against its own people – the Afghan police and security forces..