20 killed by Islamic State suicide bomber in Afghanistan – local officials

17 Jul, 2018 13:14

Twenty people, including a Taliban commander, were killed by an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIL/ISIS) suicide bomber in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to an Afghan official cited by the Associated Press. However, the circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear. The police chief of northern Sar-i-Pul province told the news agency that the suicide blast occurred as village elders met with Taliban officials, while a provincial council chief claimed that the explosion targeted a funeral that was taking place in a mosque. As many as 100 fighters from both the Taliban and IS have been killed in recent battles in northern Afghanistan, according to the provincial police chief who spoke with AP.