Officials: Suicide attack kills 13 in eastern Afghanistan

KABUL – A suicide truck bomb attack on Saturday killed at least 13 people in eastern Afghanistan, government officials said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian says that at least 38 people were wounded in the blast in Nangarhar province’s Ghanikhail district, when it hit near a mosque as locals were gathering for the afternoon prayers.

Provincial governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani says that several armed men after the explosion wanted to enter the provincial district buildings but the Afghan forces killed them before reaching the facility.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but both Islamic State affiliates and Taliban are active in the area. Both groups have carried out attacks against the Afghan government, national security and defence personnel, and civilians.

The attack happens as representatives of both the Afghan government and Taliban are opening intra-Afghan negotiations in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar to end the country’s decades-long long war, following a U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed February 29 in Doha.