Jalalabad : Fourteen people were killed Sunday when a suicide bomber struck a gathering of tribal elders at a prominent politician’s home in Jalalabad, the second deadly attack in the eastern Afghan city in less than a week, reports AFP.
The Taliban denied responsibility for the bombing, which also left 13 people wounded on the eve of a second round of four-country negotiations aimed at restarting peace talks with the insurgents.
The carnage came during a “jirga”, an assembly of tribal leaders, at the home of politician Obaiduallah Shinwari, who escaped unscathed.
“Fourteen people were killed and 13 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the house of Shinwari,” said Najibullah Kamawal, the health director of Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is the capital.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, which was littered with pieces of human flesh, sandals and charred debris.
Shinwari is a well-known member of Nangarhar’s provincial council and his family is said to be actively involved in local politics. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack, warning security forces will go after the culprits with “all its strength”.
