At least 12 people were killed and dozens wounded on Monday when a Taliban suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying Afghan army recruits near the eastern city of Jalalabad, officials said.
It came days after US Secretary of State John Kerry paid a visit to Kabul to underscore his support for Afghanistan’s beleaguered unity government and call on the insurgent group to resume direct peace talks. “In the attack, 12 army recruits were killed,” said Ataullah Khogyani, spokesman for Nangarhar province.
Ministry of Defence spokesman Dawlat Waziri confirmed the incident and death toll, adding the attacker struck the bus while riding a motorised tricycle.
“The recruits were being transferred from Jalalabad to Kabul,” Waziri said, putting the number of injured at 26.