Militants attack govt. office in Afghan city, at least 2 killed

Armed militants in Afghanistan have attacked an office of the Education Department in the eastern city of Jalalabad near the Pakistani border, with reports of ongoing gun battles with local security forces.

According to Press TV, early reports say at least two people have been killed in the attack, which began Wednesday morning with two explosions near the government building.

While there were also reports of several injuries in the attack, the final casualty count has not been confirmed and could run considerably higher as the clashes were reportedly continuing.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. But the area is widely regarded as a stronghold for the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, and past terror attacks in Nangarhar Province have been claimed by the outfit.

The latest attack came just a day after 10 people were killed and four more wounded when a bomber detonated his explosives near Jalalabad’s 6th police district, local news outlets reported, citing a statement issued by media office of the provincial government.

Local officials said it was not yet clear how many gunmen were involved in the Wednesday morning attack and how many people might have been trapped or held hostage in the building following the attack.

Security forces, meanwhile, have cordoned off the area.

The Wednesday assault marked the third major attack in less than two weeks in Jalalabad, which is the main city of the terror-ravaged province. Another bombing there on July 1 killed at least 12 people in the city center, including a group of Sikhs.

Since late last year, Daesh terrorists, who have been flushed out of Syria and Iraq, have taken advantage of the persisting chaos in Afghanistan and established a foothold in the country’s eastern and northern regions.

ME