Suicide bomber kills six civilians in east Afghanistan

JALALABAD: A suicide bomber on Monday detonated his explosives in a gathering of tribal elders in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least six people in the latest direct assault on civilians.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province which is a hotbed of Islamic State (IS) militants.

The blast occurred as tribal elders gathered at the residence of the former district governor to seek aid for war-displaced families, as Afghan forces step up anti-IS operations in the province.

"Six civilians were killed and six others were wounded in the suicide attack on a gathering of elders in Jalalabad," provincial spokesperson Ataullah Khogyani told AFP.



A police spokesperson confirmed the toll, adding the wounded had been taken to hospital.

Taliban insurgents are active in Nangarhar, but the province also faces an emerging threat from loyalists of the Syria-headquartered Islamic State group, which is making gradual inroads in Afghanistan -- challenging the Taliban on their own turf.

Last week, militants linked to IS abducted and killed around 30 civilians, including children, in the central province of Ghor, raising concerns about the group's expanding presence beyond its eastern stronghold.