Accessibility links

Breaking News

13 Killed in Afghanistan Blast


Afghan security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jan. 17, 2016.
Afghan security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jan. 17, 2016.

Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a suicide bomber has killed at least 13 people and wounded 14.

A spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial government said the bomber detonated his device Sunday morning in Jalalabad at the residential compound of Obaiduallah Shinwari, a prominent member of Nangarhar's provincial council. Shinwari escaped unharmed.

Local media say the explosion happened during a gathering of tribal elders who had gone to the residence to welcome home Shinwari's brother, Saminullah, who had been held by the Taliban for nine months. Reports say Shinwari's father, Malek Osman, was wounded in the explosion.

The Taliban has denied responsibility for the attack.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the assault.

"UNAMA reiterates that civilians may never be deliberately targeted in any location. Such attacks are explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law. The mission reminds all parties to the armed conflict in Afghanistan that they are bound to uphold their legal obligations to at all times to avoid harm to civilians," a U.N. statement said.

Shinwari's compound is in the same city where a gun and bomb attack near the Pakistani consulate Wednesday killed seven people. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for that blast.

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers arrive after a blast near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jan. 13, 2016.
Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers arrive after a blast near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jan. 13, 2016.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG