A motorcycle-riding suicide bomber attacked a bank branch on Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 35 people in a deadly attack the country’s President said was claimed by the Islamic State group.
The attack marks a major escalation in the country’s fight against an affiliate of the extremist group that now holds a third of Iraq and Syria in its self-declared caliphate. It also comes as Afghan security forces fight against the Taliban after US and NATO forces ended their combat mission in the country at the start of the year, yet another challenge for the war-ravaged nation.
The attack in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, targeted a crowd of soldiers and civilians gathered outside the bank to receive their monthly salaries. The blast killed at least 35 people and wounded 125, said Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the provincial Governor.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack, which saw children among those killed, his office said in a statement. “Carrying out terrorist attacks in cities and public places are the most cowardly acts of terror by terrorists targeting innocent civilians,” President Ghani said.
The scene of the attack showed the gruesome scale of the carnage with people lying in pools of blood and body parts scattered across the ground. The bombing comes as Afghanistan braces for what is expected to be a bloody push by the Taliban at the start of the fighting season. However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility.
The militants have stepped up attacks on Government and foreign targets since Washington backpedalled on plans to shrink the US force in Afghanistan this year by nearly half.