JALALABAD, Afghanistan, July 12, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – At least five people were killed and many more wounded Friday when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding
ceremony in eastern Afghanistan, an official told AFP.
The Taliban, who have pledged to try to reduce civilian casualties, denied
responsibility for the blast in Nangarhar province.
The area close to the Pakistan border is home to other insurgent
organisations including the Islamic State group, who have carried out
previous attacks.
“This morning at 8:00 am (0330 GMT), a suicide bomber detonated himself at
a wedding ceremony…in Pachiragam district”, Attaullah Khogyani, the
Nangarhar governor’s spokesman, told AFP.
“As a result, five killed, more than 40 wounded.”
Hazrat Khan Khaksar, the Pachiragam district governor, put the toll at 14
killed and 14 wounded but he cautioned the figures might change.
Zahir Adil, the Nangarhar regional hospital spokesman, told AFP that two
bodies and 11 wounded victims had been taken to the hospital in central
Nangarhar city.
The explosion comes just days after historic talks between Afghan
representatives and the Taliban wrapped up as part of a US-led effort to end
the war.
At the conclusion of the two-day summit in Doha, parties unveiled a joint
resolution pledging a “roadmap for peace” in which they sought to reduce
civilian casualties to “zero”.
Direct talks between US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban also
took place last week.