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2nd LD Writethru: 3 killed, 17 injured in suicide bombing targeting Afghan local leader

Xinhua, July 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Two civilians and a suicide bomber were killed and 17 people wounded after the bomber hit the vehicle of a local leader in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, on Saturday, a provincial source said.

The attack occurred roughly at 10:00 a.m. local time in Joy-e-Haft locality of provincial capital of Jalalabad city.

"The attacker detonated his explosive jacket near the bomb-proof vehicle of Hajji Hayat Khan near his house but Khan and his men escaped the blast unhurt. The explosion killed two passersby and damaged Khan's vehicle and several buildings and shops around the site," the source told Xinhua anonymously.

Khan is leading local militiamen fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in Kot district of the province, he said.

"A 60-year-old man and a 12-year-old teenager died as a result of today's blast and 17 civilians were wounded. The injured were shifted to a main government-run hospital where two wounded remained in critical condition," the provincial government said in a statement.

The province has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces, pro-government militiamen and IS fighters since the emergence of IS in early 2015.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest targeted attack yet.

The civilians considered to be supporting government, civilian government employees, religious leaders, tribal elders and persons involved in peace and reconciliation efforts have come under attack in targeted killings. Endit