Photo taken on June 20, 2019 shows a damaged vehicle at the site of a blast in Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. At least one person was confirmed dead and 20 others sustained injuries in a blast that rocked Jalalabad city on Thursday, provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, June 20 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was confirmed dead and 20 others sustained injuries in a blast that rocked Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday, provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said.
The blast, according to Khogyani, targeted the vehicle of a pro-government militia commander Malik Dehqan in Jalalabad city in the afternoon, killing one person on the spot and injuring 20 others, some in critical condition.
However, Malik Dehqan has escaped the attack unhurt, the official said, adding the majority of the victims are civilians.
No group has claimed responsibility yet. However, the locals say the hardliner Islamic State (IS) group which is active in parts of the relatively violent province, could be behind the bloody attack as Malik Dehqan was a strong anti-IS pro-government militia commander in the area.
