Five killed, dozens injured in Afghan triple bombing

At least five people were killed and 27 others wounded in a triple bombing in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Friday, provincial officials said.
2 min read
26 November, 2016
Jalalabad has been been a hotbed of IS activities [AFP]

At least five people were killed and 27 others wounded in a triple bombing in the city of Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province Friday, provincial officials said.

"Five people were martyred in three explosions in different parts of Jalalabad of Nangarhar province this morning," provincial spokesman Ataullah Khogyani told AFP.

Khogyani said the first blast was a roadside bomb detonated outside the house of a senior prison official, Abdul Hakim, killing him and a child and wounding six others.

The second blast came outside the fire brigade office - from where the first rescuers are usually dispatched after an attack - killing three and wounding 21.

Khogyani said the third blast came as people gathered at Hakim's house after the first blast, but there were no casualties.

Dr Najib Kamawal, director of the Nangarhar civil hospital confirmed the toll.

There was no claim of responsibility for the three bombings in Jalalabad, however the city has been a hotbed of IS militancy.

The IS group appears to be intensifying attacks against the government and civilians as Afghan forces, backed by NATO airstrikes, step up operations against them in Nangarhar.

Last week IS claimed a massive suicide blast targeting Shia Muslims in Kabul that killed at least 27 people.

In late October, a suicide bomber killed at least six people at a gathering of tribal elders seeking aid for war-displaced families in Jalalabad.

As well as the emerging threat from IS loyalists, who are making gradual inroads across Afghanistan, Taliban fighters are also active in Nangarhar.

Agencies contributed to this report.