Second suicide bombing in 2 days mars ceasefire in Afghanistan
AFGHANISTAN - What was supposed to be a day of ceasefires in Afghanistan turned into a day of carnage in Nangarhar province.
A suicide bomber attacked near a governor’s compound in Jalalabad yesterday, killing at least 18 people and wounding at least 49, Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khoghyani told CNN.
The bombing took place while the governor of Nangarhar, Hayatullah Hayat, was meeting Taliban members visiting the governor as part of its three-day Eid ceasefire, which ended at midnight.
It came just a day after another suicide bombing in Afghanistan killed 25 people -- including civilians and Taliban members. ISIS, which is not party to any ceasefire, claimed responsibility for that attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
The Afghan Taliban had called for its fighters to observe a three-day truce -- except against foreign forces -- to coincide with a 10-day ceasefire declared by the Afghan government for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Despite reports that the Taliban’s ceasefire would be extended, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahid reiterated that “our ceasefire ends tonight, we have no intention to extend that.”
(CNN)