Gunmen have stormed a government building in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad, killing four people and wounding eight others.
Gen. Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai, the provincial police chief in Nangarhar, says the militants on Tuesday targeted the government building of the refugee and repatriation department in Jalalabad, the provincial capital. Stanikzai and Gov. Hayatullah Hayat say Afghan forces killed two militants during the battle.
Attahullah Khogyani, Hayat's spokesman, says Afghan forces reacted quickly when the attack started and rescued all participants of a meeting of non-governmental organisations that was taking place in the building as well as the head of the refugee department.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though the Taliban issued a statement denying involvement and a spate of deadly attacks on the city in recent weeks has been seen as a show of force by the Islamic State militant group.
One witness, a passerby named Obaidullah, said Tuesday's attack began when a black car with three occupants pulled up at the entrance to a building used by the department of refugee affairs and a gunman emerged, firing around him.
One attacker blew himself up at the gate and two gunmen entered the building, in an area close to shops and government offices, he added.
Minutes later, the car blew up, wounding people in the street, Obaidullah said.
"We saw several people wounded and helped to carry them away," he added.
Although it is unclear whether there is any direct connection, Islamic State attacks have picked up as hopes for peace talks between the government and the Taliban have grown in the wake of last month's three-day ceasefire.
The attacks have been concentrated in Jalalabad, the main city of Nangarhar province, on the border with Pakistan where Islamic State fighters first appeared towards the end of 2014.
The casualties add to a mounting toll in Afghanistan. In the western province of Farah, 11 people were killed when their bus was hit by a roadside bomb, officials said.
Also on Tuesday, unknown attackers seized 22 people from vehicles on a highway linking Kabul and Gardez, a key city in the eastern province of Paktia.
Reuters/AP
