Afghan official: Suicide bomber hits near Pakistan consulate

Published January 13, 2016

An Afghan official says a suicide bomber has detonated explosives near the Pakistani consulate in the capital of a volatile eastern province, killing at least two civilians.

Attaullah Khyogani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar, says the blast happened at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the provincial capital, Jalalabad. Two people were wounded, he says.

Reports of casualties are preliminary, he says. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire from the building.

The Pakistani consulate is near the Indian consulate, a hospital and schools, and is usually busy during morning rush hour as people queue for visas.

Nangarhar is home to a number of insurgent groups and criminal gangs who benefit from the proximity to the Pakistan border.

Insurgent attacks are not uncommon in Jalalabad. The Islamic State group has a presence in province.

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