At least 16 killed in bomb, gun attack in eastern Afghanistan
Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a construction
company office in the Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday killing 16 employees
of the Afghan company, a provincial official said.
The attack began when two suicide bombers set off
their explosives outside the company office and gunmen then opened fire, said
Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.
As well as the 16 dead at the company, including
several of its guards, five attackers were killed - the two bombers and three
gunmen, he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province,
which is on the border with Pakistan.
It has become the main stronghold in Afghanistan of
Islamic State, which has grown into one of Afghanistan’s most dangerous
militant groups since it appeared around the beginning of 2015.
Sohrab Qaderi, a provincial council member in
Nangarhar said four employees of the company were taken to hospital and were in
critical condition.
