Suicide Bomber Kills 11 In Eastern Afghanistan

A suicide bomber targeted a police checkpoint Thursday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, killing at least 11 people and wounding 13 others, an official said

Jalalabad, Afghanistan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jun, 2019 ) :A suicide bomber targeted a police checkpoint Thursday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, killing at least 11 people and wounding 13 others, an official said.

The Afghan arm of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was committed by an assailant on foot, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.

There was at least one child among the fatalities, while three others were wounded.

The area around Jalalabad is home to fighters from both the Taliban and the IS group's Afghan affiliate.

Last month, three blasts in rapid succession in the center of Jalalabad left three people dead and 20 wounded.

Until then, this city had largely been spared from attacks and fighting, mainly with IS, in far-flung parts of the surrounding province.

However, in March, at least 16 civilians were killed in a suicide bombing followed by gunfire targeting a construction company near the city's airport. The Taliban said they were not behind that attack.

A wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks has claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security forces.

After 18 years of conflict, the Taliban are in negotiations with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad for some sort of peace settlement.