Nine killed in attack on Afghan gov’t building

Assailants attacked a provincial government building in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding 36 others, health officials said.

Attahullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province, said a suicide car bomb exploded outside the building, which belongs to the provincial finance directorate, aljazeera.com reported.

The attackers then stormed the building, trading fire with security officials.

He said security forces killed one of the attackers and surrounded the building.

Inamullah Miakhial, spokesman for the Nangarhar hospital, said nine people were killed and more than 35 wounded.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Both the Taliban and a local Daesh affiliate have carried out numerous attacks in Nangarhar.

The Taliban have seized control of districts across the country. The Taliban and Daesh have carried out attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in recent months that killed scores of people.

On Monday, 17 people were killed when a bomb went off at a mosque as worshippers gathered to pray and register in the improvised voter registration center.

Neither Daesh, nor the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

On May 9, a suicide attack by Daesh on two police stations in the Afghan capital Kabul killed five people and wounded 16 others.

Voter registration sites have been particularly targeted as the country prepares to hold its long-delayed legislative elections, set to take place in October.