Afghanistan suicide blast kills 33, injures over 100

Jalalabad (Afghanistan), April 18

A suicide bomb blast in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad killed 33 persons and injured more than 100 outside a bank where government workers collect salaries, the city's police chief said on Saturday.

The police were investigating whether there was a second explosion after people rushed to the scene to help, the police chief, Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, told a news conference.

"It was a suicide attack," Sherzad said, adding that the police had yet to determine if the attacker had worn the explosives or had placed them in a car. "It is early to say what kind of suicide bomber."

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibilty for the attacks. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said: "Who claimed responsibility for horrific attack in Nangarhar today? The Taliban did not claim responsibility for the attack, Daesh (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack."

Ghani was on a visit to Badakhshan.

A person purporting to be an IS spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack in a call to a news agency and in an online posting, although the claims could not be immediately verified.

If verified, it would be the first major attack claimed by the group in the country:

Taliban insurgents, who have claimed earlier killings in a wave of attacks coinciding with the sharp drawdown of foreign troops, condemned the attack.

"It was an evil act. We strongly condemn it," the Islamist militants' spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said.

For the first time since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement was ousted from power in 2001, Afghan forces are fighting with little support from NATO troops.

NATO, which at its peak had 1,30,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, has only a few thousand left, involved mainly in training and special operations.

The police said a third blast that shook Jalalabad was a controlled detonation after experts discovered another bomb close to the scene of the first explosion.

Pakistan condemns Afghan suicide attack

Pakistan has condemned the attack.

"Pakistan condemns the deadly terrorist attack in Jalalabad this morning in which many precious lives were lost and a large number (of people) were injured," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

“Such cowardly and indiscriminate attacks against civilians have no justification under any circumstances. We send our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and pray for speedy recovery of the injured." — Reuters/ AFP/PTI