IS claims responsibility for Afghan sports stadium explosion

Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for a bombing outside a sports stadium in eastern Nangarhar province

Published on: Mar 20, 2018, 14:55:57 IST

Associated Press, Kabul | By Anonymous

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Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for a bombing outside a sports stadium in eastern Nangarhar province that killed three people and wounded 10.

Afghan security personnel inspect the site of bomb blast in Jalalabad on March 19, 2018. (AFP Photo)

In a statement posted late on Monday on an IS-linked website, the militant group said the motorcycle bombing in the provincial capital of Jalalabad targeted a pro-government meeting.

The explosion occurred as former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wrapped up a rally at the stadium. Hekmatyar, previously a declared terrorist by the United States, signed a peace deal with President Ashraf Ghani in 2017 and was removed from the list.

The Afghan IS affiliate, known as Khorasan Province, is based in Nangarhar.

A separate militant statement on the IS-affiliate Aamaq news agency gave a different version of events, saying the bomb targeted a bus with pro-government militiamen.

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