Prominent Afghan militia commander among four killed in suicide attack

Haji Hayat Khan was playing an important role in the fight against Da'ish

JALALABAD: A suicide bomber in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar killed at least four people, including a prominent local militia commander, considered a leading opponent of Islamic State fighters in the region, officials said on Monday.

The bomber targeted Hayat Khan, a local tribal elder and commander of local militia forces in the Behsood district of Nangarhar, Attaullah Khogyani, the provincial governor’s spokesperson said.

“Haji Hayat Khan was a prominent tribal elder and he was playing an important role in the fight against Da'ish,” said provincial council member Sohrab Qaderi, using the term often employed for Islamic State in Afghanistan.

“He was a strong barrier against Da'ish expansion in Nangarhar.”



The incident follows a series of attacks on targets in Nangarhar, the province on the border with Pakistan where Islamic State first appeared in Afghanistan in late 2014.