Sikhs among 19 killed in Jalalabad suicide attack

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Nineteen people, including 17 Sikh minority members, were confirmed dead and another 21 including seven Sikhs were injured in a suicide blast in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, on Sunday.

The blast took place in Malang Jan square in the limits of the first municipal district at around 3:50pm targeting vehicles that carried the minority community members.

Police chief Ghulam Sanaei Stanikzai told Pajhwok Afghan News the suicide bomber detonated his explosives when the minority members wanted to enter the governor’s house in three vehicles to meet President Ashraf Ghani who was visiting.

Public Health spokesman Inamullah Miakhel said 19 bodies including 17 Sikhs seven 21 injured people had been shifted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Governor’s Spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said the dead included 10 Sikhs and eight other people and another 20 people were injured including Sikhs.

The blast happened hundreds of meters away from the governor’s house where President Ashraf Ghani, at the head of a high level delegation, was in Jalalabad as part of his two day visit to the eastern province that borders Pakistan.

nh/ma