ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday said that the attack on American University in Kabul was “organised and orchestrated” from Pakistan.

Ghani also telephoned Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and demanded “serious measures against the terrorists”.

At least 16 people were killed after militants stormed the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, officials said on Thursday — in a nearly 10-hour raid that prompted anguished pleas for help from trapped students.

Based on the information provided by Afghan government, one professor, seven students, two security guards of the university and three personnel of the Afghan defence forces were killed in the attack, while nine policemen and 36 students and staff of the university were reportedly injured.

A meeting of Afghanistan’s National Security Council was convened on Thursday, during which Ghani reportedly called Gen Raheel and asked him “for serious and practical measures against the terrorists who organised the attack”, read a statement issued by the office of Afghan president.

Afghan authorities shared three mobile numbers with Pakistan, saying these numbers were in allegedly in contact with the assailants from inside Pakistan during the university attack, said a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations.

Following which, the Pakistani security forces carried out a combing operation, based on the information provided by Afghan government, in area close to Pak-Afghan border to verify the presence of miscreants, ISPR claimed.

Sharing its evaluation of the shared information, ISPR said “all Afghan SIMs used during the attack were from a network owned and operated by Afghan company whose spill over signal affects some areas along Pak-Afghan border”.

Outcome of the operation has been shared with the Afghan authorities, moreover, further technical evaluation of the mobile numbers is being carried out, read the ISPR statement.

— With additional input by Syed Sammer Abbas.