By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
July 12, 2019
Afghan officials say at least nine people have been killed, including a pro-government militia commander, after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a wedding party in the country’s east.
Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province, said on July 12 that the bomber, a young boy, set off his explosives inside the house of militia commander Malek Tor, who was killed in the attack in Pacheragam district.
Tor had led a group fighting against the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
Khogyani said the dead included Tor’s two sons, a child, and five other civilians.
Khogyani said 12 people were wounded and rushed to hospital.
Hazrat Khan Khaksar, the Pacheragam district governor, put the death toll at 14 killed and 14 wounded.
No group has claimed responsibility for the wedding-party attack, although both the Taliban and IS militants are active in Nangarhar Province.
The province is a stronghold of IS militants, who are active on Afghanistan’s porous eastern border with Pakistan.
The group has carried out a string of suicide bombings and attacks on government offices, schools, and aid groups in recent years in Nangarhar.
The U.S. military estimates that there are about 2,000 IS militants in Afghanistan.
The hard-line Sunni group has targeted minority Shi’ite civilians and government security forces in deadly attacks since it emerged around 2015.
With reporting by Reuters
Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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