Suicide bomber strikes Jalalabad’s diplomatic enclave, 4 dead
Security forces say 3 schoolchildren have been injured; firing still on.
Security forces say 3 schoolchildren have been injured; firing still on.
Jalalabad
: A suicide bomber detonated explosives near the Pakistani consulate in the capital of a volatile eastern province of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan, killing at least two civilians and two police officers, officials said on Wednesday.
Attaullah Khyogani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar, said the blast happened at 9 a.m. in the provincial capital, Jalalabad. He told Associated Press that two civilians were also wounded.
Reports of casualties were preliminary, he said. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire from the building.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Seddiq Sediqqi said the two police were killed in the initial bombing, which he confirmed was carried out by a suicide bomber near a police car parked outside the consulate.
After the explosion, two gunmen entered an empty guesthouse near the consulate and began firing on security forces outside, he said.
\"The building is surrounded by our forces and shooting is going on,\" he said. All staff at the consulate was safe, he added.
#NangarharBlast Security sources confirm 4 policemen killed & 3 school children injured in suicide bombing, Jalalabad. Gun battle continues
The Pakistani consulate is near the Indian consulate, a hospital and schools, and is usually busy during morning rush hour as people queue for visas.
Nangarhar is home to a number of insurgent groups and criminal gangs who benefit from the proximity to the Pakistan border.
Insurgent attacks are not uncommon in Jalalabad. The Islamic State group has a presence in province, having fought with Taliban gunmen in recent months to take control of at least four border districts.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack.
The attack comes two days after Islamabad hosted a meeting of representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States to discuss ending the Taliban's 14-year insurgency.
Pakistan is widely believed to support the Taliban through its security service, though the Pakistani government denies the claim. The Taliban has split in recent months, with the insurgents divided over their support for a peace process.