Deadly attacks rock Afghan

Jalalabad : A suicide bomb and gun attack by militants on an Afghan government building in Jalalabad on Tuesday killed at least 15 people, some burned “beyond recognition”, officials said, the latest in a series of assaults on the eastern city. On the other side of the country a roadside bomb apparently intended for security forces hit a passenger bus and killed 11 people, marking yet another bloody day for civilians who have borne the brunt of violence in Afghanistan.

The attack in Jalalabad targeted the compound of the refugees and repatriations department. It ended after more than five hours of intense fighting between militants and security forces, said Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province. At least 15 people were killed and the same number were wounded, Khogyani said.

Provincial health director Najibullah Kamawal said some of the dead were “burned beyond recognition”. The raid began with a suicide attacker blowing up a bomb-laden car at the entrance as local representatives of foreign donors and agencies were meeting department employees inside the building. “About 10 minutes before the end of the meeting we heard an explosion and then gunfire,” a government official told AFP.